Royal Matchmaker
by Lady Emma Wentworth
Summary: Known as the King of Hearts, Ianto Jones has been selected as the royal matchmaker for Prince Jack of Boeshane. He has less than a month to find the perfect woman who will become Jack's happily-ever-after. An A/U based on the Hallmark Channel film of the same name, with much gratitude.
1. Chapter 1

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter One

(A/N: This is based on the Hallmark Channel original film of the same name. I have taken the **GREAT** liberty of changing the millennia and the location, I've added a number of my own scenes, some events and dialogue, and I've omitted a few scenes that weren't really necessary to tell the story I want to tell. See an A/N at the end which you shouldn't know **til** the end!)

Tucked away in a back corner of the reception hall, Ianto Jones listened to the proclamation, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding as I give you for the first time anywhere, Mr and Mrs William and Channon MacIntosh!" and he watched as a radiant bride and her adoring groom entered to the thunderous applause of their many friends and family. It was one of his favourite moments of any wedding, that and the moment when the chapel doors opened and the father of the bride appeared, presenting his daughter to all those attending but most importantly, to her groom who saw her for the first time resplendent in her wedding finery.

Tosh slipped up beside him, holding out a glass of champagne. "I can't believe you pulled this off," she whispered as she saluted him with her own glass.

" _We_ pulled this off," Ianto corrected her. "There's no way I could have accomplished all this without you, young lady. I will never figure out how you got one hundred Brilnation orchids here on time. Never!"

"It wasn't easy, I promise you that. Between the Trilie Embargo and a nasty bud worm that infested the main greenhouse, I'd say about a third of these are replicants. Fortunately, you'd be quite hard-pressed to figure out which are fake and which are real."

"I tip my hat to you, my beautiful Japanese dragon." Ianto leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You are truly brilliant."

She blushed slightly, still a bit unnerved by the praise. There were times when Toshiko Sato wanted to pinch herself, when she wondered how in the Universe she'd gotten so lucky as to be hired by Ianto Jones, the man considered to be one of the very best matchmakers and wedding planners on First Moon Cardiff. It was considered quite an honour to be chosen by him to coordinate the big day, considering there were literally dozens of brides-to-be clamouring for his attention every week, the majority of them coming from other planets and moons in the system, many of them non-human.

' _I can't forget to order both fresh and dried catnip for Sister Matga's bonding ceremony.'_ Tosh made herself a mental note. In four months' time, Ianto was putting on a Catkind bonding ceremony and the catnip was for the couple's wedding night, guaranteeing a successful first mating.

Under Ianto's watchful eye, the reception went off without a hitch and on schedule.

The couple's signature cocktail, the 'Flamin' Mame', was a huge hit amongst the guests who enjoyed re-lighting one another's drinks, and there was only one set of singed eyebrows, thank the Goddess. The drink was taken from an ancient Old Earth film called 'Mame', starring Rosalind Russell, an ancestor of the bride's; the couple had seen the film on their first date at a cinema that specialised in restoring and celebrating very old films and television series.

As always, the catering company Ianto favoured had outdone themselves, with many dishes prepared specifically to please both human and alien palates. Several guests summoned the chef to applaud him and then to ask for recipes.

When the plates had been cleared and the champagne and wine glasses refilled, the toasts were made, the speeches were given, and for a change, no one cried from embarrassment or swore at the speaker and there were no fisticuffs in the foyer. Unlike the spectacular – Toshiko had politely described it as 'robust' in her final report – Shandrick wedding a month ago, no one had to call the security services or the emergency medical services, which was actually an unusual thing for any formal gathering of the Sot-chin race.

Keeping to Ianto's schedule, Tosh spoke quietly to the bride and groom, then signalled the orchestra to begin playing and the newlyweds swept out across the dance floor, their five months of three-times-a-week lessons making their movements seem totally effortless. When the music changed a few minutes later, the guests joined in.

Sometime later, the gentle ting-ting-ting of a champagne glass being tapped brought everyone's attention to the bride and groom, now standing next to their five-tier wedding cake, which was wrapped in gold fondant with Prussian blue accents and featuring a magnificent spray of white roses cascading from top to bottom. It had been baked and decorated by members of Toshiko's relatives, the Sato family being pastry chefs renowned throughout the quadrant for their ability to replicate by hand the flowers and greenery from Old Earth which were now extinct. All that remained were historical documents and images of more than a quarter-of-a-million plant species that once lived on planet Earth.

With great solemnity, the couple cut the cake, selected a piece, took turns bowing respectfully to one another before carefully presenting the morsel and then feeding their new mate. They were telling each other, their spouse's parents and all the guests that they would always provide for their loved one.

Finally, it was time for the newlyweds to depart on their month-long honeymoon to the Medusa Cascade. With Tosh's help, the bride had slipped away and changed from her gown to her travelling ensemble and as she stood patiently on the sixth step up, all the single ladies and even a few men gathered expectantly below her, jostling for a place, hoping to be the one who caught the bridal bouquet.

Ianto nudged his best friend. "You should slip in there, try your luck," he whispered. "I have _great_ ideas for your wedding!"

"Shhh!" Tosh jabbed him in the ribs; Ianto said the same thing every time one of their brides tossed her bouquet, and while she didn't doubt that her wedding would indeed be the finest he'd ever thrown, Tosh had no intention of ever getting married.

The newlyweds were long gone but Ianto and Tosh paid no attention to the die-hard revellers as the party continued around them, instead they directed the clean-up operation. Toshiko was in the kitchen, counting the dishes, glassware and silver as it was all washed and packed away while Ianto was supervising the registering and securing of gift envelopes and the packing of beautifully wrapped wedding gifts. They would all be held in his secure archives until the couple returned and settled into their new home.

As he stood there entering data into his tablet, a woman came up to him, champagne glass in hand. "I don't know how you did it, but I'm so glad you did!" Her face glowed with happiness and perhaps one glass of bubbly too many.

"Oh, they were made for each other," Ianto told her. "I just introduced them."

"You underestimate your talents, Mr Jones." She leaned in closer. "My daughter is _very_ picky."

"Yes, I know," he nodded, careful to keep the annoyance from his tone and the grimace from his face as he remembered the hours spent introducing Channon to over a dozen men, all of whom she refused for the most ridiculous reasons.

" _His nose is too big."_

" _His chin is too small."_

" _His hair is the wrong colour."_

" _His country's name is too hard to pronounce."_

However, Ianto's personal favourite was, " _He smells funny."_

Ianto smiled, glad that his time with Channon as over and then he added, "but I also know that when someone has had their heart broken they tend to close themselves off and protect themselves. Once Channon opened herself up and accepted that no one is perfect, she was able to follow her heart."

"Well, I can certainly see why people call you the King of Hearts!" The bride's mother raised her glass to Ianto.

"Actually," Tosh came up to them, "a certain pop star who is famous throughout the quadrant but who should remain nameless is responsible for that one after Ianto found him his dream girl."

Ianto could feel a blush starting and he hastily protested, "Stop! Stop it right now!"

The bride's mother playfully shoved Ianto's shoulder. "Well, I can only imagine what _your_ dream girl must be like!" She drained her glass and wandered off a bit unsteadily in search of a refill, not hearing Ianto's comment.

"You and me both," he muttered dryly.

"Another great day, another happily-ever-after." Tosh and Ianto headed for the cake table, where a few pieces remained, sitting there on paper plates, ready to be eaten and the trash disposed of.

Ianto nodded. "They are a great couple, aren't they."

Tosh selected a slice of cake and nibbled at it, using her fingers as she didn't see any clean forks. "I wish we could find you someone, but I just don't have your intuition."

"Don't be silly."

"I'm not!" she protested. "My matchmaking skills are limited to statistics and analytics."

"Don't sell yourself short, Tosh," Ianto shook his head at her, "you did so much to help me sift through all the frogs to find this woman's knight in shining armour." He noticed that a handsome man who'd been watching Tosh most of the reception was approaching and knew he'd found the perfect moment to slip away. "Well, it looks like this evening is going to be full of potential, so you have some fun and I'll see you tomorrow." He turned to walk away.

"But what about you?" Tosh hadn't yet seen her approaching suitor.

"I have… erm…" Ianto stuttered, floundering for an excuse, "a thing, an umm… important… a very important appointment… thing…"

"No, you don't!" Toshiko knew full well that her boss and best friend was lying because she knew his schedule down to the minute as she was the one who did most of the scheduling.

Ianto hurried away, passing the entry table which held a five-foot crystal centrepiece, with the bride and groom's initials etched around the rectangular bottom, while the large circular piece on top was etched with a design which artists had created by the combining the crests of both their houses. It was quite a striking work of art which would be put on display in the couple's new home. ' _Got to make sure that gets delivered later with the gifts,'_ and he made yet another mental note which would soon be added to his list of things to do.

Shrugging his overcoat more comfortably on his shoulders and buttoning it as he exited the building, Ianto barely made it out the door before he was digging into his pockets, his hand emerging triumphantly with a bar of the best dark Phxtem chocolate made on the six moons. Ripping open the wrapper, he took the first bite of his end-of-event reward and closed his eyes with pleasure, feeling the treat melt across his taste buds. It had been his tradition from his very first event to indulge himself for a job well done. In fact, it had even taken on a bit of superstitious luck; he knew that if the chocolate was waiting for him then things would go along swimmingly.

The one time he'd forgotten to put it in his pocket, things had gone terribly awry. The mother of the bride had deliberately tripped the groom's mother sending her toppling into a bed of carnivorous flowers, the gracefully arched neck of the ice sculpture swan had snapped, dropping the head beak-first into a large bowl of gorm-liver pate, the groom had bent over to tie his shoe and split the seat of his pants wide open – while standing at the altar waiting for his bride, naturally – and the bride's father had developed a _very_ loud case of the hiccups just as he and his daughter started down the aisle.

Ianto's little voice had been screaming at him to check his pocket and when he had finally stopped long enough to listen, he had discovered that the chocolate was missing. Despite a torrential downpour, Toshiko was immediately dispatched to the nearest confectioners and when she returned just as the long ceremony was ending, the rain also ended and the eight-and-a-half-hour reception went off without a hitch.

Now, courtesy of Toshiko, there was a large rather colourful sign on the inside of Ianto's office door saying 'POCKET CHOCOLATE' to remind him to check before he left. Whenever a client asked him about it he'd merely tap his finger aside his nose and wink, whispering, "Good luck charm."

As he strolled down the street, window shopping and nibbling tiny bits from his chocolate, he gradually became aware that there was a trio of young people following along behind him, whispering and giggling to themselves. He remembered seeing them at the reception, so he glanced over his shoulder; he could hear them arguing about who should talk to him first, one of them saying, "It's your question, _you_ ask him!"

After a few more steps he stopped and turned around. "Yes?" and he smiled encouragingly.

It was the brunette female who responded, grabbing her blonde friend's hand and pulling her forward. "She wants to know if you work with teen-agers."

"Looking for a soulmate already, are you?" he teased albeit a bit seriously. One never knew where the next client would come from, so he treated everyone courteously.

"More like a prom date," their male companion muttered.

The blonde rolled her eyes at him before confessing, "See, I have this crush on this really cute guy named Llando, but so far, he thinks I'm invisible."

Mentally, Ianto shook his head. She was probably only fifteen years old but she was already quite pretty, with long blonde hair, big blue eyes, dimples and a smile that made her face glow, and he could tell that she was going to be a stunningly beautiful woman. ' _This Llando is an idiot if he can't see her!'_

"She's not kidding," the boy grinned, "he doesn't even know she exists!"

"Oh, stop!" Ianto protested. "I'm sure that's not true, but I don't know if you need a matchmaker as much as an introduction. How old are you?"

"Fifteen," she confirmed his first impression.

He nodded and smiled. "Why don't you ask him to help you with your homework?"

Her face lit up as she grinned back at him. "Simple, yet brilliant! Thank you!" She grabbed her friend's hand and they hurried off, heading back to the reception hall.

"Good luck," Ianto called after them as he popped another morsel of Phxtem chocolate into his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Two

Four thousand parsecs away from First Moon Cardiff, in an enormous and slightly foreboding castle at the end of the Boeshane Peninsula on Cibron Four, a rather nervous-looking man with a thin face adjusted his tie and tugged on his waistcoat as he approached an imposing figure standing there looking off down the driveway.

"Ah, Owen, I assume we have news on the whereabouts of the prince?" the older man asked.

"Yes, sir, I've just had word that he's on his way from the spaceport right now."

"And what's the excuse for the delay this time?" The grey-haired man got a very disapproving look on his face. "And don't try blaming it on the paparazzi again!"

Before Owen could respond the sound of a powerful Hover engine could be heard approaching in the crisply quiet day. "Ah, here he is now, sir." The relief in Owen's voice was palpable.

The bright red Hover came to a sharp halt in front of the two men and Owen rushed forward to open the door.

"Sorry I'm late, Father," a handsome man with dark hair and a cleft in his chin emerged from the Hover. "The shuttle was…"

"Delayed, yes, I heard." It was clear the older man didn't believe the excuse for a moment.

"Yes, and to make matters worse, the Hover wouldn't start. Luckily it was just a loose battery cable." The prince frowned. "I probably should have checked that out before I decided to jet off to the Gran Prix."

"Another adventure you can regale me with in the Hover on the drive over," the king grimaced.

"Yes, about that, Father. Is it _really_ necessary for me to attend the…?" the prince floundered for a moment, having no idea where he was supposed to be going with his father.

Owen stepped up to the prince's shoulder and quietly filled in the blank. "The Royal Parade…"

"Yep," the prince nodded vigorously, "the Royal Parade?"

"At the National Cathedral," Owen finished.

The prince rolled his eyes although Owen couldn't see him. "Is it really mandatory for the entire royal family to…" His voice trailed off as he saw his father's eyebrows slowly rise into his hairline. "Well, yeah, of course it is!" he hurried agreed. He'd learned a long, long time ago that disappearing eyebrows did not bode well for his future endeavours. He clapped his hands together. "Well then, let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

"Aren't you going to change into your uniform?" The king's tone was just a bit frosty now.

"My uni… uniform…?" The prince looked from his father's exasperated face to Owen's nodding head. "I guess… yes, well… I'll just be a few moments then," and he hurried off.

The king sighed deeply and looked at Owen. "Please go make sure he washes his hands."

Hiding a smile, Owen bowed slightly; the king had been telling him that for nearly twenty years. "Yes, of course, sir," and he quickly followed the prince.

Dressed in soft, well-worn sleep pants and an old T-shirt, Ianto entered his bedroom, crawled carefully across his bed and set a mug of steaming coffee down on the bedside table, making sure to use the coaster with the red Welsh dragon on it. Tucking his feet beneath the duvet, he adjusted his pillows and opened the book he'd been working on. It was a reproduction of a compilation of ancient novels by Jane Austen, an old England author his mam had introduced him to when he was very young.

"Now, where did we leave off?" he wondered as his fingers found the bookmark and he opened to the proper page. He was very excited to be starting a new story in the book.

" _It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."_ This was the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice and Ianto remembered his mam telling him that even after a millennium, it still stood as one of the most famous first lines in literature.

"Jack, I have requested your presence as I believe the time has come for us to have a little chat." The king put down the papers he'd been perusing as his son entered the study.

"Why do I get the feeling that it's a tad more serious?" Jack's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

The king rose from his desk and handed his son a magazine, the 'Boeshanian', on the front cover of which was a picture of Jack above the screaming headline, ' _Where in the World is Prince Jack? Anywhere but Home!'_

"The Prime Minister brought this to my attention."

Jack took the proffered magazine and frowned at the rather unflattering photo. "It's nothing to worry about if this is all they can dig up on me," he snorted derisively.

"Well, it's more meaningful than you think," the king disagreed. "You are very rarely _in_ your homeland."

"So, I like to travel! Since when did that become a crime?" Jack tossed the offending magazine onto the nearby table.

"That's not the point, Jack. You have a duty to your country…"

"I understand, father," Jack quickly interrupted, hearing yet another lecture about his future coming. "Oh, you know me," he cajoled with a smile meant to be endearing, "pomp and circumstance has never been my cup of tea."

The king squared his shoulders and raised his chin just a bit. "We are royalty. It _is_ your cup of tea. You're the next king, for Gods' sake! People look to you for hope, for inspiration, for stability." He began to pace in front of book shelves heavily laden with precious antique books printed on actual paper, a treasure only a king could afford.

"But they have you for that!"

"I am the past," the king explained. "You are the future. It's time to show your subjects a new maturity has emerged from their prince." He deliberately ignored his son's look of scepticism. "Now, the Jubilee Ball which commemorates my thirty years on the throne is a month away."

"Well, I think I can sit tightly around the palace until then," Jack conceded reluctantly, the look on his face reminding his father of the little boy who didn't want to come inside after playing out in the gardens all day.

"I mean more than that." The older man shook his head, the decision already made in his mind. "I think it's time to introduce to the world the woman of noble blood who will one day be your queen," and he smiled.

The look of disbelief on Jack's face was almost comical. "I beg your pardon?"

"Pardon denied." The king took a deep breath. "It's not as if it's the first time I've brought up the subject of marriage."

"Well, no, I realise that!" Jack was beginning to feel a bit desperate; there was a note of steely determination he'd never heard in his father's voice when they'd talked in the past about his getting married. "It's just… I mean…" he searched his brain for an excuse. "I'm just not ready to settle down yet!"

"So you keep saying." The king pursed his lips as he tried to remain calm. "I'm tired of your excuses and delays." He walked back over to his desk and sat down. "You need to put your follies aside and make your country proud. You _can_ trust me, you know; I only have your best interests at heart."

"I guess I'll just have to take your word for that," Jack said sullenly, pouting like a five-year-old child being told he couldn't have any sweets before dinner. He looked at his father, hoping to see a softening in the older man's resolve, trying to think of some way around things, but when he saw the king's single raised eyebrow, he knew the discussion was over. Really over. He turned and walked slowly from the room.

The king rolled his eyes at his son's departing back, well accustomed to his behaviour. ' _He'll see this is all for the best.'_

The hot sun of Cibron Four beat down on the Hover parked by the side of the castle as Jack tried to start its engine, only to be met by the sound of failure yet again.

Owen wandered over and stood by the rolling worktable covered with tools, clasping his hands behind his back. "Doesn't sound good."

"No, well, the starter's the least of my problems." Jack clambered out of the Hover.

"I was talking about the slamming of tools I heard earlier," Owen grinned infuriatingly.

"Oh that," Jack sorted through the tools on the table. "Yes, well… Father's being completely unreasonable."

"If I may, sir, I believe he just wants what every father wants for his child," Owen shrugged. "For him to be happy."

"I'm already happy!" Jack looked up from the Hover's engine. "It's just not the sort of happy the king wants me to be."

"Perhaps," Owen knew what the king had on his mind and he stepped a bit closer to the Hover, "for His Majesty's sake, you could keep an open mind on the subject."

Lifting out a sparkplug, Jack blew on it forcefully and then held it up, peering at it closely. "Oh, come on, Owen, you've witnessed my dating acumen!" He leaned back into the Hover's engine, replacing the part.

"Yes…" Owen nodded as he pictured more than a dozen of the prince's latest attempts at dating parade through his mind.

"The women I go out with are only interested in my title and everything that goes with it." Jack was getting angry; it was an unfortunate but true fact of his life that he'd become aware of when he was sixteen and had gone on his first date. Not at all interested in them getting to know one another that evening, all the girl could talk about was what she would do and do with his money if she became his queen.

"Perhaps," Owen repeated. "But that only means you haven't met the right one yet."

"I suppose you might be right, but quite frankly, Owen," Jack tossed the tool back onto the table and got into the Hover, "I don't know where to start nor do I have the desire to learn where to look." With a push of the start button, the Hover roared to life, bringing a bright smile to Jack's face as he revved the engine. He looked up at Owen, expecting a return smile but instead he encountered the look of long-suffering his valet wore whenever the subject under discussion wasn't yet closed. With a deep sigh, Jack killed the engine.

"What is it, Owen?"

Owen glanced at him, opened his mouth as if to speak and then closed it again, looking away at something in the gardens.

"Come on, Owen," Jack frowned. "We've been together for too many years for you to start holding back on your thoughts."

"Well, sir," he began, "on this occasion, I felt compelled to intervene on your behalf."

Toshiko moved about Ianto's office, setting his schedule down next to his computer, making sure everything was ready for his imminent arrival. Her mobile rang unexpectedly and hoping it wasn't Ianto saying he was going to be delayed, she answered.

"Jones Matchmaking, Toshiko speaking."

Owen squinted at his own computer screen. "Is this Miss Sato?"

"Yes, it is. How can I help you?"

"My name is Owen Harper, I'm in service to a very highly placed personage. I just spoke personally to a former client of yours and you come very highly recommended."

Tosh smiled, knowing what was coming and she mentally reviewed Ianto's schedule for the next six months, looking for an opening.

"I'm looking at your website now and I wish to inquire about your matchmaking services for a potential client abroad. Do you work outside of Cardiff?"

"We certainly do, Mr Harper," she confirmed with a smile.

"Well, we are certainly in need of your assistance." Owen sighed. "May I give you the details and perhaps we can discuss our options?"

"Of course," Tosh grabbed a tablet and stylus. "Fire away."

"A professional matchmaking service?" The king perused Ianto's website. "From New Moon Cardiff, no less?" He sniffed, sounding quite dubious as he looked at picture after picture of happy couples all smiling warmly at one another; he was sure they were too good to be true and wondered how many of them had been professionally posed.

"I can assure you, Your Majesty, that I have thoroughly vetted Mr Jones and his associate," Owen hastened to reassure the king. "He spent almost a decade at a larger firm before going out on his own and his references are impeccable." He scrolled down to show the king Ianto's 'Success Stories in Numbers' section, where it proclaimed, '74 Couples, 39 Marriages and 19 Engagements and counting'. "His record is quite staggering."

The king raised an eloquent eyebrow. "Yes, I see. But do you really think we need to resort to…" he waved at the screen in an imperious, almost disdainful manner, " _this?"_

"Yes," Owen nodded emphatically. "I believe the prince needs all the help he can get."

Curious to learn more, the king leaned forward and began to study the website more closely.

"Umm… Ianto?" Tosh entered his office and set her laptop down on the desk in front of him. "If we play our cards right, I think I may have just found us our next big client."

"We have lots of big clients."

"True, but this one is big, like in really _big_."

Intrigued, Ianto sat back. "Okay, let's see what you've got."

She opened the laptop and a man's face appeared. "Ianto, may I present to you His Royal Majesty, King Franklin of Boeshane."

Ianto smiled hesitantly. "Is this real?" he whispered out of the side of his mouth.

"Oh, yeah, it's the real deal," she confirmed in a matching whisper as she bent to write something down.

Quickly composing himself, Ianto smiled warmly at the screen. "Hello, King Franklin, what an absolute pleasure."

"His Royal Majesty would like our help in finding a suitable match for his son, Prince Jack."

" _The_ Prince Jack?" again with the side whisper to which Tosh nodded. "Well, that _is_ a thrilling prospect, but I'm a little confused. Normally we speak to a client directly…" He noticed that Tosh was holding something up and he glanced at it before adding, "Your Majesty."

"I understand," the king cleared his throat. "However, I wanted to speak to you first, as I am quite committed to finding my son true love and happiness."

"Well, you're in luck, because that's the only way we do business," Ianto smiled brightly. Again, Tosh waved her little sign. "Your Majesty."

"Well, that's very reassuring, especially considering the tight time frame upon us." King Franklin nodded with approval; clearly, he had just made up his mind about using Ianto's services.

Ianto frowned at the screen and then glanced at Toshiko.

"Yes, the king needs us to find a match for Prince Jack in time for the Royal Jubilee Celebration," Tosh quickly filled in the details, "which is in four weeks."

"Four we…" Ianto stared at her and gave a nervous giggle. "From now?!" His tone was incredulous. "Your Majesty, I am incredibly honoured at the prospect of finding your son a mate, but love doesn't really work on any timeline."

"Then you'll have to accelerate the process. I'm not interested in promises, only results." King Franklin was quite adamant. He didn't notice Owen's frown of concern. "If you can make wedding bells ring for my son then I'll have no problem telling the entire quadrant that it was your firm who found his happily-ever-after."

Quite nonplussed, Ianto glanced at Toshiko for a second, as if seeking reassurance. Turning back to the computer screen, he said, "Please, just one moment?" and he muted the connection before rising from his chair in a state of minor panic. "Four weeks?" he hissed, feeling a sudden tightness in his chest.

"Yes, four weeks," Tosh nodded encouragingly. "But if anyone can do it you can and opportunities like this don't come along very often and this would be _huge_ for us!" She spoke very fast, as though she was trying to convince herself as well as Ianto.

"But what if I fail and the whole thing goes bottoms up and nobody will ever hire me again!" The normally unflappable Ianto Jones was envisioning his entire business crashing down around his ears and he knew his hands were waving about.

"You never fail! I mean, you _can't_ fail!" Tosh was beginning to panic as well.

"Four _weeks!_ " Ianto hissed again.

"Ianto, please?" Tosh implored. "Like… he's a _real_ king."

Ianto looked like he was in pain as he straightened his tie and tugged at his waistcoat before sitting back down. "Okay," he agreed before unmuting the laptop. "Your Majesty, I don't know how else to say it, but we'd be delighted to come aboard."

"Excellent." King Franklin gave a very satisfied smile as he looked at Owen, who smiled back, both happy and relieved that his idea was going to plan.


	3. Chapter 3

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Three

Nine hours after boarding the royal shuttle and touching down at the Boeshanian spaceport, then climbing aboard the train and being settled in the royal coach car, Ianto and Toshiko stepped out onto the Boeshane Peninsula. Their journey had been amazing; once the shuttle had arrived on Cibron Four, they'd watched out the windows in utter wonder as it skimmed over vast forests with trees hundreds of feet high, through mountain passes that were shrouded in clouds, and across deep valleys speckled with small villages, tiny farms and vast pastures.

New Moon Cardiff was mostly a large city designed to look like individual towns and farming communities, and there was definitely beauty to be found in its hundreds of miles of coastline, in the Brecon Beacons, in its unsettled and barren interior, and in its claim to mountain fame, Mount Snowdon, which rose more than 53,000 feet into the air.

While he would always be a proud Welshman, Ianto had to admit that Cibron Four was indeed quite spectacular.

As the train pulled into the Boeshane Central Train Station, two uniformed men entered the car and collected their luggage. "If you'll follow us, Sir and Miss, we'll take you to your Hover." They waited politely for Ianto and Toshiko to gather their coats and bags, then led them off the train and onto a busy platform teeming with travellers.

Tosh was sorry to leave the train; even though she worked with lovely and expensive things every day and knew how to provide every detail of first class service, she'd never felt so elegant and pampered in her entire life. The car was the absolute end of luxury, with rich wood-panelled walls, chairs upholstered in leather while the small love seat was covered in beautiful needlepoint. They had been served tea with all the accoutrements, including cut-glass finger bowls and hand-embroidered linens. The tea set itself was antique bone china, the pieces – teapot, sugar, creamer, plates, cups and saucers – all nearly translucent with a warm glow.

There were savoury little sandwiches of watercress and ham, and cucumber with mint butter, pastry puffs filled with curried chicken, and Tosh's newly discovered favourite, tiny tartlets with spinach and cheese.

Sweet offerings included lovely scones with clotted cream and wolfberry jam, incredibly thin and crispy lime wafers, meringue kisses and rose-water sugar cookies cut in the shapes of flowers. There were also slices of old-fashioned Victoria sponge, hickory nut butter cake, succulent lemon bread and squares of honey tart. Everything was just as fresh as it could be, all the perfect accompaniment to the pot of perfectly brewed tea.

Ianto made mental notes to ask the chef for recipes to several of the items, knowing they would be welcome additions to his repertoire for the formal and semi-formal teas he held to introduce prospective mates to one another.

As they were gathering their things, the young steward who served them smiled conspiratorially and slipped them each a small tin to put in their bags; they would later discover that he'd filled each one with more sweets to enjoy later.

As they traversed the length of the landing platform following the men carrying their bags toward a waiting Hover, Ianto flipped through the pages of a small book on etiquette Tosh had given him. "I had no idea there were so many rules about working with royals!"

"Never turn your back to a royal when leaving the room, always address them as Your Highness," Toshiko repeated some of the most important rules. "Oh, and don't talk to them in a harsh tone!"

"Well, when in doubt bow or curtsy," Ianto nodded and then shook his head. ' _What have I gotten us into!'_

"Simple!"

Ianto handed the book back to Tosh and tucked his hands in his coat pockets. "All right, quiz me on Prince Jack."

"Okay, Prince Jack is the heir apparent and the only son to…"

"King Franklin and Queen Cristina!" Ianto snorted. "Come on, give me something real!"

"Umm… okay, his mother passed away when he was…"

"Nineteen."

"Okay," Tosh ran her finger down the list of data she'd gathered on the royal family. "Since finishing his degree in…"

"Political science."

"Correct, and he has spent his time…"

Ianto was stumped for a moment and then it came to him. "Ahh! Travelling round the world."

Toshiko nodded, "and his favourite things to do?"

"Adventure sports, race car driving, rock climbing, scuba diving."

"Right," she closed the tablet. "And when it comes to relationships?"

Ianto grinned at her. "He's never been photographed with the same woman twice!"

"So, are we dealing with a commitment-phobe?"

"It's too soon to tell."

Tosh frowned. "Well, has your gift given you any indication of the kind of woman we should be looking for?"

"No, not at all. I mean, I'll definitely know more the second I meet him, but in the meantime the only thing we have to go on is that she cannot be a commoner."

"Just my luck," lamented Tosh with a big pout, causing Ianto to laugh at her.

Suddenly Tosh squealed quietly and grabbed his arm, trying to point without actually pointing to a large, gleaming black Hover with the royal crest on the door.

Ianto looked up and standing beside the elegant Hover, he saw a distinguished man holding a sign bearing the Royal crest, below which was printed 'Ianto Jones'. "That's me!" he exclaimed softly, trying not to be too impressed. "Wow!"

The nearly forty-five-minute trip in the Hover took them over cobblestone roads, through dense forests and alongside crystal-clear rivers. Then without warning, the trees were gone and everything around them opened up and there before their eyes stood Castle Boeshane, an imposing edifice both welcoming and warning as it stood amidst acres of manicured grounds and elegantly crafted gardens.

With its royal flags fluttering wildly in the breeze, the Hover flew into an inner courtyard where it came to a halt next to a life-size statue of King Leopold the Mighty and Just, the first monarch and the man who united the warring tribes of the Boeshane Peninsula into the peace-loving homogenous people of today.

The instant the Hover came to a stop two liveried footmen stepped forward, one of which opened the door and gave his hand to assist Toshiko out while Ianto waved him away with a smile, sliding out to stand and as unobtrusively as possible stretch his legs and back. The other man went to the back of the Hover and began removing their luggage, setting it on a gleaming brass trolley for transport to their rooms.

Ianto and Tosh took a moment to look around the courtyard, noting the big fountain in the centre, the many lead-glass-paned windows overlooking them, the masses of verdant ivy that crept over the ancient stonework walls and the abundant flowerbeds offering flowers of every colour of the rainbow as well as a few hybrid shades Toshiko had never seen before.

"This is going to take some getting used to," muttered Ianto and he looked upward at the castle's tower.

"Yup…" Tosh spun in a small circle, craning her neck back to see the turrets across the far wall. "Okay, I'm used to it!"

"Really?"

"You know, this place just _oozes_ romance; I think it's going to make our job a wedding cake walk."

A small boy about eight came walking out the door. "You must be the people of Cymru."

"Yes, or you can call us the Welsh." Ianto was impressed by the boy's effortless pronunciation of a word he'd heard many adults stumble over back on New Moon Cardiff, where children began learning to speak Welsh from the moment they were born and where English was definitely considered a second language. A thought struck and Ianto couldn't help himself.

"Huh, sounds like we're in a band. Yeah, we're The Welsh!" and he struck a silly pose.

Tosh got a case of the giggles which she quickly swallowed, allowing only a few to escape.

"Hi, I'm Ianto and this is Toshiko." Ianto held out his hand. "And you are?"

"Not where he's supposed to be!" Owen came rushing up, slightly out of breath. "Begging your pardons, this is my son, Rudy."

"Hello," Rudy politely shook their hands.

"He's supposed to be tending to his studies," Owen admonished the boy.

"Yes, father. I was just welcoming our guests to the palace."

"I see," Owen nodded. "Well, perhaps you'd like to run off to your room and have the afternoon snack that I prepared while I get our guests settled. After that I'll take you to the community centre where you can spend the rest of the day."

Excited by the afternoon's outing, Rudy bowed politely first to Tosh and then to Ianto. "Good day." And then he was gone just as fast as his feet could carry him without actually running.

Ianto looked at the man curiously. "Hello, and you are?" He held out his hand again. "Ianto Jones."

"Owen Harper." He shook Ianto's hand then turned and offered his hand to Tosh.

"Toshiko Sato," she smiled warmly.

"Yes, we spoke on the phone." Owen held her hand just a moment longer than was absolutely necessary. He'd been thinking about her since their conversation.

"Yes, we did," Tosh found herself blushing slightly.

"I am Prince Jack's personal valet."

Turning to Ianto, Tosh confided, "This man know the prince better than he knows himself."

Ianto looked at Owen through narrowed eyes, as though weighing him up. "Oh, really."

"Uh-huh."

"Is there someth…" Owen had a quizzical look on his face, as though he'd missed something in their conversation.

"Nope!"

"Nothing!"

Ianto and Tosh spoke simultaneously.

Owen blinked, looking like he was going to say something and then shut his mouth, indicating with a discrete wave of his hand that they should proceed him into the castle. "Please…"

A group of reporters were gathered outside a village shop, knowing that Jack was inside because his Hover was parked out in front, and only the prince drove a vintage candy-apple red Hover. The instant he appeared, exiting the shop with two bags in his hands, the questions and the pictures began.

"Your Highness, is there any truth to the rumours you're going to sail around the world?"

Jack paused and looked at the woman. "I'm afraid that ship has sunk for the moment." He slipped his bags into the Hover while the woman, emboldened that he'd answered her question stepped closer.

"So what's the next adventure for the fair prince?"

Jack worked hard to keep a grimace from his face as he politely responded, "Nothing but home sweet home." He turned away to discourage further questions just as his mobile rang. Pulling it from his pocket he looked at the screen. "Owen…"

"Your father has requested your immediate presence in his study." Owen's tone brooked no argument.

"That sounds ominous," Jack said slowly, mentally flailing about for an excuse not to show up but finding nothing.

Ianto sat bolt upright in his chair, while King Franklin adopted a much more relaxed pose, resting against the back of the chair. Feeling slightly uncomfortable in the deepening silence, Ianto studied the drawing room, taking in the richly upholstered furniture, the exquisite works of art that decorated the walls, the marble busts that hugged the corners and the profusion of beautifully arranged flowers that adorned a number of the small tables. Smiling again at the king, Ianto took a sip of tea from a bone china cup so thin he could see the shadow of his fingers through it.

King Franklin decided he liked Ianto; it was refreshing to find a young man who maintained his poise in a trying situation and didn't try to fill the silence with idle chit-chat. "I'm sure Prince Jack will be along any minute. He had a full schedule today."

"I'm sure," Ianto nodded. "I can't imagine. I'm sure he's as anxious to meet me as I am to meet him."

The king merely smiled at Ianto.

Ianto was just about to pick up his teacup again when Jack came striding into the room and Ianto leapt to his feet, followed by the king at a more leisurely pace.

Jack frowned, seeing that his father had a guest. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, quite the contrary," the king assured him. "His Highness Prince John of Boeshane – Jack for short – meet Ianto Jones of New Moon Cardiff."

With a welcoming smile, Jack held out his hand. "And you are…?"

Ianto shook hands, saying, "I'm your royal matchmaker."

Jack's eyebrows shot upward like little rockets and he dropped Ianto's hand as if it were a hot coal, drawing back slightly.

"Mr Jones is somewhat of an expert in the world of romance," the king explained. "Some even call him the King of Hearts. I've hired him to help you on your quest."

"Quest?" Jack cocked his head and looked at his father. "And what would that be?"

"Finding you the love of your life," Ianto answered, feeling his heart sink as he realised his client knew nothing about his being there. "Ta-da!" His smile was just a bit weak this time.

"Ah…" Jack turned to him, actually speechless.

"Perhaps I should leave you two to get acquainted," the king started towards the door.

"No!" Jack protested. "Erm…"

"Stay, please!" Ianto urged.

"No, not at all," King Franklin declined. "I believe you both have your work cut out for you." And he was gone, leaving Jack and Ianto looking at one another.

Ianto sighed, breaking the silence. "Oh boy, this is the first you're hearing about me."

"Yeah," Jack nodded, trying to keep a pleasant look on his face. "If nothing else, your perception is spot-on and if my instinct is correct there's nothing I can do about it." His smile was becoming a tad forced.

"Do I detect a note of resistance?"

"A note? It's more like a symphony," Jack declared. "But first things first. Do I call you Mr Jones or would you prefer King of Hearts?"

"Well, king sounds a little stuffy, so why don't you call me Ianto," he smiled warmly. Despite the prince's obvious reluctance there was something Ianto found very intriguing about him. "And what can I call you?"

"Your Highness will do quite nicely." Jack sat in the chair his father had vacated.

Into was definitely taken aback. "Ahh… Your Hi… ness." He didn't sit until after Jack.

"So," Jack crossed his legs and plucked at the crease in his trousers. "You're here to find me the love of my life in under a month." His tone of voice clearly said he didn't think that was possible.

"That is the plan, yes."

"But you have received the proper training, I suppose?" Jack inquired with a raised eyebrow. "You've attended some matchmaking academy, obtained some kind of certificate, graduated top of your class, perhaps?" He knew he sounded like a right bastard but he was having trouble keeping a lid on the anger he felt for his father going behind his back and hiring Ianto in the first place.

Ianto wasn't bothered by the questions at all; he could feel the waves of frustration rolling off Jack. "I spent ten years working with the largest matchmaking firm on New Moon Cardiff before going out on my own. My very high-profile clients all rave that I have an incredible gift for bringing people together."

Despite himself, Jack was beginning to be impressed by Ianto Jones. He wasn't at all put off by the questions or the snarky attitude that went with them.

"I get a gut instinct when I meet people for the first time." Ianto's voice was earnest and he leaned forward as he spoke.

"What does your gut tell you about me?" Jack really wanted to hear what Ianto had to say about him.

Ianto smiled softly. "The first feeling I'm getting is that there's a lot more to you than you let on."

A mask fell over Jack's face.

"And you probably don't believe in true love."

There was silence in the room as Jack studied Ianto for a moment, wondering how he knew so much about him, if it truly was instinct or if someone – his father or Owen – had let slip enough information that Ianto could easily reach his conclusions.

"Well, let's take the first step in finding me my happily-ever-after, shall we? I'm a Libra, so what does that tell you about me?"

Ianto chuckled and sipped at his now cold tea. "Well, nothing actually." He sat back. "What do I need is to spend time with you and get you to open up a little so I can sort of dissect your personality…"

"So, I'm to be a bug under the matchmaker's microscope?"

"No! You're not a bug! It's really not awful!" Ianto leaned forward again, trying to reassure the prince.

"Really?" Again the eyebrow rose. "Because having one's personality dissected by a complete stranger doesn't exactly sound pleasant."

Setting his teacup back on the table, Ianto clasped his hands in front of him. "Listen, if we're going to make this work, and I know that we can, I'm going to need you to trust me."

"See," Jack rose from his chair, "I was raised to believe that trust is something earned, not given."

Ianto quickly stood up. "All right, that's fair. How can I earn your trust?"

For a moment it looked like Jack was going to say something, but then he shrugged and shook his head.

"Oh come on, I'm up for the challenge if you are," Ianto cajoled.

The prince smiled, snapped his heels together and bowed slightly.

Ianto smiled back and stood there, waiting expectantly.

Jack bowed his head again.

It took a few seconds for the lightbulb to go off in Ianto's head, but then, "Ohh!" He picked up his tablet and took two steps away from the prince and towards the door, his mind racing as he tried to remember how to get to his room.

"You can leave the china," the prince remarked dryly.

' _Huh?'_ Ianto frowned and then looked down to see that his cup and saucer were sitting atop his tablet and he felt a bright blush climbing his cheeks as he turned back and set the delicate china on the table. "We'll talk… later… then," and he fled the room, trying to maintain as much dignity as he could.

Jack watched Ianto leave and then sat down to contemplate this strange man who wanted to invade his privacy and dissect his life. He was certainly good-looking, very pleasing to the eye, and Jack found himself wondering if Ianto Jones had found the love of his life yet, or if matchmakers didn't believe in love for themselves only for others.


	4. Chapter 4

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Four

While Ianto had been trying hard to hide his nervousness in front of the king, and then doing verbal battle with his son, Toshiko had been busy creating a map of every available woman of noble or royal blood that she could find who were seeking their happily-ever-after and who might make the prince a suitable bride. It was colour-coded, with a rainbow of Post-It notes and a spider's web of string connecting it all. There were recent photographs of each woman, biographical notes, social histories, timelines… she had done her homework and then some. Now that she was done, she was sure that Ianto would know everything about every woman who might be acceptable.

Standing back to survey her work with a feeling of great satisfaction, Tosh was startled when Ianto suddenly burst through the door of their suite. She could tell by the look on his face that things had not gone according to the norm when meeting clients for the first time.

"What's wrong?" she asked warily.

"He thinks my job is a joke and he had _no_ idea we were coming!" Ianto was more rattled than Tosh had ever seen.

"Are you _serious?_ "

"Yup." There was a _very_ distinct pop to the 'P'.

"What are we going to do?" Tosh's eyes were wide.

"We're going to…" Ianto trailed off as he finally saw the kaleidoscope of colour behind Toshiko. "Wow! You did a lot more than unpack!"

She shrugged, "yeah…"

"Okay, well… we're going to…" Ianto couldn't take his eyes off the map and it inspired him. "We are going to keep going!" he declared. "What do you have?"

Toshiko turned to her work of art. "Well, based on the basic background compatibility parameters I found eighty-two potential matches of the proper pedigree for Prince Jack."

"Okay, good work, but from what I just experienced, we're going to need one hundred and eight-two," Ianto scowled. "At _least!"_

"Oh, so our prince is not so charming."

"I'm going to have to find a way to get on this guy's good side, so I've asked his valet to organise a working dinner." Ianto crossed to one of the suitcases and started looking through his clothes.

"That's good!" Tosh exclaimed as she walked over to him. "Food always helps a man think." She sat down and smiled cheerfully. "Look on the bright side, you get to have dinner with a prince."

"Trust me," he frowned deeply. "All that glitters isn't necessarily gold."

Ianto held a tie up against a shirt and considered the combination. Normally, he'd have had everything matched and packed according to occasion, location, weather, company… he never left anything to chance. As the son of a highly successful tailor with clients that included several generations of the Windsor Royal Family in the Commonwealth of Illustrious Britannia, Ianto had been taught from an early age that first impressions were everything and that clothes often made the man on such introductions. Unfortunately, this trip to the Boeshane Peninsula had come up so unexpectedly, leaving no time for organisation, that he was as out-of-sorts as his wardrobe.

Finally, he sighed deeply as he laid out a suit, shirt and tie. "Okay, this should do nicely."

Tosh took one look at his choices and rolled her eyes. "Yes, if you're going to a funeral."

"Tosh…"

"Look, trust me on this…" She darted out of the main room and into her bedroom, emerging a moment later with a small flat box, which she opened and presented with a flourish. "This is what you need tonight."

Ianto looked at the gift with wide eyes. It was a tie of beautiful deep nearly blood red silk shot through with silver and blue threads. "Tosh…" he was speechless.

"It's nothing," she giggled nervously. "I saw it in New Londinium when I was up there for my ojiisan's one hundredth birthday." Toshiko was very close to her great-grandfather; he'd helped raise her when her father had passed away when she was but seven.

"I don't know what to say," Ianto took the tie from the box and held it up so the light could play across the surface; it really was a thing of beauty, the way the light played off the coloured threads. "Thank you, thank you so much! You really shouldn't have, you know."

"Sometimes we all need a little ego boost," she smiled at him fondly, "and I thought the blue matched your eyes."

Ianto exchanged his stark white shirt for one the colour of a dove's pale grey breast and laid the tie against it. Then he set the black suit back in the case and pulled out a three-piece with a barely noticeable grey pinstripe running through it and he knew he was going to look… and feel… like a million pounds. ' _Toshiko is right; sometimes we do need an ego boost.'_

"Now," Tosh took the small leather box from his case and looked through its contents, pushing aside cufflinks and a watch until she found what she wanted: a sterling silver tie clasp with a blue sapphire in the centre and a pair of matching cufflinks. The antique pieces had been passed down through the Jones men for centuries and were not only priceless but absolutely irreplaceable.

A servant slid a dish of pasta onto the gold charger in front of Prince Jack and then silently moved away while another copied the movements for Ianto. Watching for the prince's lead, Ianto waited until Jack had picked up his fork before he did the same.

"So, I am genuinely curious," Jack poked his fork around in his food. "How do you see your matchmaking methodology working?" He finally speared a slice of mushroom and slipped it into his mouth.

Ianto set his fork down on the edge of his plate, his bite of chicken and pasta left uneaten, and looked down the long table – there were six pairs of chairs between him and the prince – he answered, "Well, I'll give you the broad strokes. Toshiko will cull through all the potential candidates worthy of the position and the more I get to know you the easier it will be for me to narrow down that field even fur…" He watched the prince shove an enormous forkful of pasta into his mouth. "Then I will conduct interviews with the women and introduce you to the top candidates."

"You won't introduce them to me…" Jack spoke with his mouth full, something Ianto found extremely unattractive and quite surprising, thinking that a prince should have much better table manners than that and then wondering if the act was all for his benefit. Watching minute bits of food spew from Jack's mouth gave Ianto a momentary loss of appetite and made him rethink eating the rest of his dinner. ' _I suppose I can always get something sent to my room,_ ' he concluded logically.

"You will introduce them to the future king of Boeshane."

Ianto's eyebrow rose. "Aren't they one and the same?"

Jack swallowed the remains of his food and then set his knife and fork down on the dish with a deliberately distinct clink that spoke of his displeasure. "Tell you what, why don't we make this easy for both of us…"

"Great," Ianto muttered under his breath.

"You send me several candidates and I'll play along. I'll choose one as a date to the Jubilee Ball, you'll fly away home and everybody walks away a winner." He waved his hand as if it were a done deal.

"Well, everybody except for girl you choose who gets her heart broken, umm… me, with my hard-earned reputation on the line, and you, walking away from potentially the greatest thing that ever came into your life." Ianto could feel his blood pressure rising but he remembered Tosh's words at the train station about never speaking harshly to a royal so he struggled to maintain a civil tone.

"So, I should take that as a no." Jack drank deeply from his wine glass, watching Ianto over the rim.

"Why don't you just give me a chance?" Ianto asked. "This whole keeping everybody at arm's length is only hurting you. I mean come on, let's be honest, Your Maj… hi… Your Highness."

"Keeping people at an arm's length is an occupational hazard," Jack explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

Ianto picked up his fork again and used it to gesture gingerly around him as he asked, "Is that why you chose the stuffiest room in the house for me to get to know you?" His eyebrow rose as a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "It's kind of hard to get to know you when we're sitting in different time zones." He finally ate his first bite of food and his eyes widened slightly; it was undoubtedly the best alfredo sauce he'd ever eaten, and as his favourite pasta sauce, he'd eaten and cooked a _lot_ of it in his day.

Jack didn't say a word, but Ianto could tell from the way he took his napkin from his lap, balled it up and tossed it onto the table that Prince Jack of Boeshane was _definitely_ not amused.

Fifteen minutes later, bundled in warm coats, Jack led Ianto out through the front door of the palace and across the drive towards the gardens.

"So, what exactly do you want to know about me?" Jack tried to keep his tone light and conversational.

"Well, everything that's not for public consumption," Ianto answered truthfully. "Your father has hired me to find you an eligible bachelorette and I can tell I've got my work cut out for me."

They reached the marble wall that stood between the palace and the gardens and paused to look at the view, which was truly beautiful even when bathed in the light of a full moon.

"That's because you seem intent on doing this the hard way," Jack remarked frankly.

"No," Ianto held back his irritation, "it's just the right way." He drew in a deep breath and started again. "I've worked with a great many famous people and they're usually very different in their real lives from how they're portrayed in the press."

"Ah, so I'm in the public eye so I need to be what people expect me to be."

"No!" Ianto exclaimed. "That's just the role you play! I need to know who _you_ really are!"

Jack was struck at that moment by the way Ianto's eyes flashed as he spoke so earnestly.

Ianto sighed deeply as he looked at Jack. "I realise that I'm a stranger and that this is all really sudden…" He was a bit taken aback when the prince broke eye contact to gaze out over the gardens. "But…" he paused, waiting until Jack was looking at him again, "wouldn't you like to fall in love?"

"If there really is such a thing," the prince responded in a sullen voice as he looked out over the shadowy gardens again.

"Why so cynical?"

Prince Jack deflected the question by asking one of his own, "I don't see a ring on _your_ finger."

That might have been the last thing Ianto thought he'd hear and he was ill-prepared to respond. "Uh… well…" he stammered, "we're not talking about me."

"Now who's hiding?"

Ianto chuckled nervously. "I'm not hiding anything!" he protested, "I'm just not here to talk about me."

Jack watched as the moonlight revealed a blush reddening Ianto's cheeks and his fingers suddenly itched to see if his cheeks were as warm as they looked.

"You really should put a window in that wall you have up," Ianto snarked, forgetting about the harsh tones rule as he turned away.

"Well I'm impressed. Usually it takes a woman a good three or four dates before she's that candid." Jack frowned as he looked at Ianto in profile, noticing the pert nose and Cupid's bow lips, which were now pursed in irritation.

Ianto nodded his head. "Thank goodness we're not on a date!"

"Yeah…" Jack grimaced at him. "No point in reminding me."

"Nope." Ianto brought the conversation back around to its original purpose. "Well, I think we've done quite enough work for tonight." He clasped his hands together. "Thank you." He didn't even try to keep the sarcasm from his voice as he turned to walk away.

"Mr Jones…"

Ianto paused and turned back.

"When you compile a list of candidates please steer clear of the ones who use candour as an excuse to be rude."

"I certainly will," and a wave of anger rose in Ianto making his eyes flashed dangerously as he swept a mockingly low bow before the prince. "Your _Highness_ ," and he stalked away with sharp steps across the cobblestones, his head held high and his fists clenched by his sides.

He failed to see Prince Jack watching him with an odd smile that was both confused and amused.

Ianto and Toshiko had fled the palace… well, actually Ianto had done the fleeing, Tosh had done the following, and now they were walking through Boeshane's village centre. Despite being a very high-tech society, the entire place had been designed with an old-world charm to it; there were a few two-storey buildings with white-washed walls and dark beams, leaded-glass windows and low stone walls that protected front gardens, but all-in-all, the effect was more of an 18th century country village. Tall, leafy trees offered shade from the sun while flowerboxes overflowed with riotous colour. The air was fresh and clean, scented with the various flowers.

As they'd strolled into town, they had passed lovely cottages that would have been right at home in the old-English Cotswolds and there were vast pastoral landscapes dotted with flocks of woolly sheep and docile cows. Despite the precision and lack of warmth of the palace itself, outside its imposing towers and crenulations, Boeshane itself was a picturesque and tranquil country, one that welcomed visitors and residents alike to slow down, stay a while and smell the roses.

Tosh was doing her best to steer Ianto towards a nice café with tables, chairs and benches surrounding a marble fountain with a graceful sea kelpie at its centre – an homage to the vast ocean surrounding the peninsula on three sides. When Ianto had said they were going for a walk, she'd thought he meant around the palace gardens; she hadn't worn shoes meant for a march into town. Her feet hurt, and she wanted to sit down and enjoy a coffee and hopefully a yummy pastry.

"I cannot _believe_ I took on a job without meeting the client first!" Ianto was still fuming even as they sat down in the tea shop; he'd spent their entire trip into town either muttering mutinously to himself about "…that high-handed, uncooperative prince who doesn't know what's good for him…" and "…should have listened to my little voice when it said this was a bad idea…" or telling Tosh that "…need to have my head examined…" and "…going home on the next Hover out of here…"

Toshiko's favourite bit of her boss's rant was "…that man needs a good swift kick right in the arse…" and she had to work hard to hide the fit of giggles that ensued as she pictured cartoon versions of Jack and Ianto in an arse-kicking contest, chasing one another around the palace gardens.

Knowing that her boss and best friend just needed to vent, Tosh had trudged along beside him, although keeping up with his indignant pace was a bit of a trial. She'd listened with one ear while enjoying the sound of birds singing in the trees and water flowing gently down a brook that followed the road for a while. She knew that Ianto would eventually run out of steam and then they would talk.

Tosh opened her computer and prepared to get some work done while they waited for their order. She looked up and smiled as Ianto leaned forward and continued in a quieter tone of voice.

"And a _royal_ one at that!" The look on Ianto's face made her want to giggle again but she wisely held back.

"Oh, come on, he can't be that bad!"

Ianto glared at her. "Yeah, he can! He is!" He shook his head in frustration. "It's my job to find him the love of his life in under a month and I can't because he refuses to take this seriously…" He held up a finger to stop her from interrupting. "Get this, he doesn't _believe_ in love," Ianto made air quotes around the last four words and then snorted derisively.

The waitress arrived with their coffee and croissants and Ianto smiled warmly as he thanked her but as soon as she was gone, the smile vanished as well, replaced by a look of intense worry. "I have everything riding on this, Tosh! There must be some way to crack him; please, tell me you have an idea?!"

Tosh sipped her coffee and looked thoughtful then inspiration struck. "He's really close with his valet, Owen; I could talk with him, see if I can get some information."

"Good!" Ianto nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I know everybody around the prince is pretty tight-lipped but you're cute…"

"Thank you."

"So, yeah, go for it." Ianto nodded his approval as he drank his coffee.


	5. Chapter 5

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Five

"So, I have a feeling that if I just walk through that giant hall he'll probably be somewhere, I mean he oversees everything."

They had resumed their stroll through town and were just rounding the corner of a large two-story building when Tosh noticed that Owen's son was seated behind a table with a large umbrella over it festooned with banners declaring that hot cocoa and milk, biscuits and faery cakes were for sale.

"Oh look! There's his son now!" Tosh hurried over. "Rudy!"

A proper gentleman born and bred, Rudy immediately rose to his feet. "Good day, ma'am and sir," and he sketched a very short bow in their direction. "May we interest you in a treat? It's for charity."

"Sure!"

"Yes, thank you."

The woman seated at the table with Rudy and another student explained, "We're trying to save the St James Community Centre," and she gestured at the building behind them.

Tosh and Ianto studied the building; it was three stories high, and above the arched entry way was a beautiful four-windowed bay atop of which was an open balcony, and Ianto's mind immediately saw the classic balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet being played to an appreciative audience below.

"It's a beautiful building," Tosh agreed.

"Unfortunately, it's in need of repair," the teacher said sadly. "The heating system is on its last legs and if we don't fix it soon we'll have to cancel our afternoon programs."

"Oh, no!" Ianto murmured sadly.

Ianto Gethin Jones had been born into a family who possessed a remarkable gift for tailoring; his grandfather once told him that a Jones male could accurately predict a man's inside leg just by his stride across the shop's threshold. The Joneses had proudly held a Royal Warrant for hundreds and hundreds of years, long before they ever journeyed across the stars to New Moon Cardiff. Ianto had spent hours as a small boy studying the family craft at his grand-tad's knee, listening to his many stories of bolts of fabric examined and admired, patterns employed and customised, and beautiful suits created and tailor-made for everything from daily office wear to royal wedding finery.

When Jones the Senior finally passed away, Jones the Junior stepped up to the plate, but try as he might, Ianto's father never quite grasped the social niceties of running a successful shop. He maintained a lovely shop, plenty of widely varied stock, books always in order, never a penny in debt to anyone. There was absolutely no fault with his needlework – his work was openly admired – but his attitude left so, _so_ much to be desired. Rather than design a suit to help disguise the expansive waistline of a portly gentleman as his father had done before him, Ianto's father would tell the man to his face that if he cut back on the biscuits he'd be a lot easier to measure.

Word soon got around the shop's line of loyal customers about his caustic tongue and unpleasant manner and business slowed down drastically, but it wasn't until a member of the Royal Family came in to be fitted for a mourning suit for the funeral of a beloved uncle that the final bell tolled for Jones the Tailor, founded in 1879, as proudly stated on the original brass plaque outside the door. Had it remained in its spot on the wall, the words 'Closed in 2259' would have been added.

Crown Prince Richard Albert, the husband and consort of Queen Elizabeth the 7th, arrived one afternoon to select an appropriate suit to wear to the funeral of the Queen's oldest uncle, Prince Edward. Edward had introduced Richard to his niece and had encouraged the relationship once he'd seen the attraction between the two. He'd been instrumental in helping young Richard find his way in the royal court and had inspired Richard to pursue his natural talent for painting; his glorious masterpieces reflecting historic and traditional England the way it had been well over a millennium ago now hung throughout the most prestigious museums in the quadrant.

Ianto's father, who'd spent most of the night before down at his local celebrating the Welsh Rugby team's spectacular win over Kitum of the Outer Rings, their biggest rival, was spectacularly hung-over and definitely not in the mood to observe the necessary protocol expected when dealing with a royal, even one as easy-going as Richard. After sticking the prince with a pin for the third time and being chastised by the prince's valet, Ianto's father had thrown his mug of tea at the servant and then told them both to "…get the feck out of my shop!"

The royal warrant had been pulled within the hour and the doors to Jones the Tailor closed less than a month later, just twenty years short of its four hundredth anniversary. After that, Jones the Junior could be found at any of the three pubs in town, drowning his sorrows with lager and crisps, leaving his family to eke out an existence on public assistance and what money Ianto's mam could make taking in laundry and cleaning other people's houses.

The community centre in his small town had been a godsend, a place where Ianto could go to escape his abusive father's alcohol-induced fits of rage while his mother simply barricaded herself in the cellar, running the washing machine to drown out her husband's shouting. His sister, Rhiannon, older by eight years, had a boyfriend with an old jalopy of a Hover he'd rebuilt with spit, twine and a prayer and she was rarely at home any more, leaving Ianto, age nine, to fend for himself.

Whenever his father went off on one of his reigns of terror, Ianto would climb out his bedroom window and go to the centre, where he could read and listen to music, and where an elderly woman would teach him about the lost art of elegant living; under her patient tutelage, he learned how to make polite conversation amongst all levels of society, from royalty to the common man, how to set a proper table as well as how to eat at it, how to dress and most importantly, how to read people, what they were saying and especially how to see and hear what they were keeping to themselves. It was because of her instruction that Ianto was the most sought-after match-maker and wedding planner he was today.

The idea that the community centre might be lost to generations of children to come struck a chord deep in Ianto's heart. He handed the little girl a thirty-credit chip in exchange for a large chocolate-chip cookie and two cups of cocoa. "Here you go, keep the change."

Rudy beamed at him. "Thanks, that's very generous!"

Tosh noticed the model that Rudy was building. "Wow, that's nice helicopter!"

"It's not as easy to put together as it looks," Rudy offered the nearly completed model for her inspection.

"That's another casualty of our afterschool activities," the teacher told her as she poured a cup of cocoa. "The crafts program fell by the wayside last month."

"Wow, you really have your hands full," Ianto accepted his cookie with a smile, breaking it in two and handing the bigger half to Toshiko.

"Well, actually, I just got here to Boeshane and I'm still getting settled," the woman admitted. "I haven't even had the chance to meet all the parents yet."

"Do you mind if I ask you what drew you to the cause?" Ianto handed Tosh her cocoa.

"After my husband was killed in battle on the shores of Bundan, I started questioning what I was doing with my life. So, I decided to come home to where I grew up and I came here and that's when I found my true passion." She gestured over her shoulder at the community centre. "I spent many happy hours here growing up and wanted to repay that happiness."

Ianto sipped his cocoa, enjoying the way the warmth slid down his throat; it had grown chilly as clouds gathered overhead, blocking the sun. "Wow! You're really lucky; not many people get the opportunity to do something they really love."

The woman smiled and nodded.

"Well, good luck guys," he and Tosh prepared to leave. "Delicious cocoa. Thank you."

Tosh waved her cookie at the kids. "Bye!"

Rudy stood up again as he said his good-byes and the little girl waved shyly.

Tosh leaned in close to Ianto as they walked away. "I love seeing how people just open up to you," she confided.

"Not everyone," Ianto scowled into his cocoa.

The royal Hover sped along the motorway, enroute back to the palace.

"There, see, that wasn't so unbearable, now was it." The King's voice had a note of smugness to it. "Typically, these lunches with Parliament members can be… trying."

Jack looked out the window and rolled his eyes.

"As for trying, how are things going with you and your matchmaker?"

Jack drew a deep breath before speaking. "I suppose you'd have to ask Ianto. According to you he's the expert in love."

King Franklin frowned. "If I had any confidence your own pursuits I would never have brought him onboard." He looked at his son. "I would have consulted with you prior to employing his services, but you and I rarely see eye-to-eye on anything these days."

"Yes, well, it appears that's a moot point now." Jack looked back out the window.

"I am confident that you will come to embrace his presence," the king nodded as though it were a done deal.

"Quite frankly, father, I think he's in over his head."

"Ianto is a deliberate young man, takes his job very seriously." The King frowned, "I expect that now you will give him the respect and consideration that he deserves." His tone brooked no argument and Jack wisely gave none.

"Indeed."

The remainder of the trip was spent in silence as each man perused his own thoughts.

Toshiko grabbed her notebook and pen and set off in search of her prey, and it wasn't long before she found him in the great hall having just left the library. "Owen!" she called out, inordinately pleased to see the man. "Just the man I was looking for!"

"Oh?"

"I was hoping you and I could find a common ground and have a conversation about your employer."

Owen smiled politely, "I'm afraid my loyalty to the prince prevents me from divulging any personal details." He started walking down the hall and Tosh fell in step beside him.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I'm not asking you to kiss and tell…" she giggled, "or tell me who the prince has kissed. It's just that in order for us to do our jobs we really need to know more than the tabloids are telling us."

"Yes, well, the picture they paint couldn't be any further from the truth," Owen scowled deeply.

Tosh danced out in front of Owen, bringing him to a halt. "See, that's what we suspected! But without more to go on, we're going to be sending him on way more 'I don't' dates than 'I do's'…"

Owen frowned, already feeling himself giving in to Tosh.

"…which isn't going to help instil any confidence in the prince. He's already feeling sceptical."

"So, you're asking me to betray the confidence of a man to whom I swore my allegiance?" There was a slightly teasing tone to his question.

"I'm not asking you for the combo to the crown jewels," Tosh smiled back, realising that Owen was about to help her, "unless you want to give it to me?"

Owen cocked his head at her as if to say, _'really?'_

"Look, I just need a little indication of Jack's true personality."

Owen thought for a moment before saying, "There's a fine line between being helpful and being deceitful."

Seeing that Owen wasn't going to help her, Tosh nodded sadly and turned away.

Feeling like a real cad for wiping her smile from her pretty eyes, Owen cleared his throat. "But…"

Tosh turned back hopefully.

"It is one I will gladly navigate if it means getting the prince any closer to finding his true happiness."

Clasping her notebook in front of her, Toshiko looked at Owen, really seeing him. "You really care about him, don't you?"

Owen floundered for words. "We were brought up together as children before I began service, and I was there for him when he lost his mother, and then he for me when I lost my wife." There was true sadness in Owen's eyes. "Those bonds run deep." He looked into her eyes for a moment and then brushed past her, walking quickly away.

As soon as he'd turned the corner, Tosh did a tiny victory dance right there in the middle of the hall. "Yes!" she whispered joyously.


	6. Chapter 6

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Six

Paying no attention to what it was doing to the knees of his impeccably pressed suit trousers, Ianto Jones was crawling around on the floor, moving from one piece to another of the dozens of papers and photographs that covered the beautiful hand-knotted rug. As he muttered to himself, he scribbled another note on yet another of the colourful Post-It notes that littered the papers like bright jewels.

There was a knock at the door and as he rearranged several photos, he called out, "Come in!"

The door swung open and Jack was treated to the surprisingly enticing view of his matchmaker's pin-stripe-clad bottom waving at him as Ianto reached out and slapped an orange sticky note to a photo. Glancing over his shoulder, Ianto was startled to see Prince Jack standing there, grinning at him.

"Oh!" Ianto scrambled to his feet, "Your Maj… erm… Your Highness!" He was suddenly very aware that his tie was askew, his waistcoat was hanging from the arm of a chair and that he was in his stocking feet.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," the prince tore his gaze from Ianto and looked at the multitude of paper covering the twelve-hundred-year-old rug.

"No, no, of course not!" Ianto waved his arms around the room, suddenly realising that he had papers and pictures on nearly every surface. "I apologise for the mess. It just umm… it got really uh… drafty in here… and whoosh…!" His voice faded away and he could feel a blush climbing his cheeks as he heard how silly he sounded.

Jack tried to hide his smile; seeing the normally oh-so-properly buttoned up Ianto Jones decidedly dishevelled and discombobulated was actually quite endearing. "May I come in?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Ianto flapped his arms again, fervently wishing they would stay at his sides where they belonged. "Please."

Closing the door behind him, Jack walked toward the centre of the room, looking around, seeing Tosh's map on the back wall. "My, you really have turned this place into a war room, haven't you?"

Embarrassed, Ianto nodded.

"Which is why I'm here. I am hoping we could start fresh; I realise I may have come across a tad curt," he admitted.

"Thank you," Ianto heaved a deep sigh of relief. "I accept your apology."

"That wasn't an apology," Jack shook his head. "It was an observation."

Ianto smiled, "So, you're taking back your apology?"

Prince Jack of Boeshane suddenly found himself at a loss for words and realised that he was doing a very good impression of a goldfish.

Thinking how cute Jack was when flustered, Ianto cut the man some slack. "Perhaps we were both a little prickly," he offered.

Taking the olive branch, Jack stepped closer to the fireplace, taking care with each step not to trod of Ianto's paperwork. "See, life as a prince," as he gathered his thoughts he unconsciously struck a perfect pose, one hand on the mantel, one in his trousers pocket, "can cause a person to live their life somewhat guardedly."

"Yes," Ianto agreed as he leaned back against the desk. "That's a very common thing for celebrities, public figures…"

"I don't expect sympathy," Jack explained, "it's just that my life is a different kind of normal, one I think unfortunately you will never understand." Sadness crept unexpectedly into his voice.

"Thank you for that, for this glimpse of who you really are," Ianto gestured with his pen. "It makes my job so much easier."

Feeling frustrated, Prince Jack stepped away from the mantel and sighed deeply, wondering if Ianto had truly understood what he had tried to say.

"So, does this mean you're willing to play ball now?"

Despite himself, Jack smiled at Ianto. "Let's take it one day at time for now, shall we?"

"Okay," Ianto was struck by an idea. "How about tomorrow? I could follow you around through your daily activities, sort of an informal tag-along?"

Suddenly finding the idea of spending the day with Ianto quite appealing, Jack grinned. "I think that can be arranged."

"Great!" Ianto threw his arms out and exclaimed, "Jack and Ianto's big day out!"

Jack's eyes followed Ianto's arms, noticing for the first time that he had his shirt sleeves rolled up and that his forearms were very… interesting. He laughed lightly. "You make it sound like a musical," and he laughed again.

"You should do that more often," Ianto told him softly.

"What, laugh?"

"Yeah," Ianto stepped closer to him. "It lights up your whole face!"

"Huh…" No one had ever said that to Jack before and he pondered Ianto's words, knowing he'd be thinking about them many times to come.

"I may make a true believer out of you after all." Ianto's voice was warm as was his smile, and Jack noticed his eyes were sparkling mischievously. It occurred to him that until now, the Welshman's eyes had always been the colours of a storm at sea. Now, they were a clear sky-blue and his smile was the sun and Jack filed that image away to examine later.

Shaking his head, Jack opened the door and just as he left the room he looked back to see Ianto still smiling at him as though they were friends who'd just shared one of those 'ah-hah' moments he'd heard about. It gave him a sense of pleasure he'd not felt since his mother had passed away.

Jack slid his notecards together and turned toward the larger-than-life-size bust newly erected in the town centre. "And so without further ado, in dedication to this statue, I would like to thank the National Arts Committee for their continued hard work, vigilance and passion…" He glanced at his notes and then tossed them onto the lectern with a slight grimace. Leaning forward on his hands, he addressed the sparse crowd – mainly Committee members and press – in his own words. "A passion which was handed down to me from my mother, the late Queen Cristina, whose impact and memory has never faded from my heart or that of our beloved country."

As a face amongst the crowd, Ianto watched the change come over Jack when he decided to forego the officially prepared speech and speak from his heart; his face became more animated and there was a sparkle in his eyes that hadn't been there seconds before. _'He even looks a wee bit… relaxed, for want of a better word.'_

"So, on behalf of the Royal Family, we remain in debt to the dedicated individuals…"

Ianto was so intent on watching Jack that when Tosh hurried up to him and grabbed his arm he barely concealed a small squeak of surprise.

"How's it going?" she mouthed and got a nod and big smile in response.

"…who time and time again put the greater good ahead of their personal interests." He smiled warmly first at the crowd and then at the statue, and Ianto was struck yet again by how open a smile made him look, how welcoming and even, dare he say it, younger.

As applause broke out Ianto noticed that Tosh was beaming at him and he became curious. "Did you find something?"

Toshiko clasped her hands together and tried to contain her excitement. "Yes!" She reached into her bag and withdrew a photograph, hand it to Ianto. "Thanks to some clues from our valet." She cast a shy but admiring glance at Owen, and while Ianto studied the picture, one of the two female journalists spoke up.

"Prince Jack, the world wants to know will His Highness be bringing a date to the upcoming Jubilee Ball?"

Slightly uncomfortable with the direction the questions might be taking, Owen paced over behind the prince, standing at his right shoulder, a move which told the press that the interview was over.

"Erm… there are no plans as yet," Jack answered, knowing Ianto was standing just twenty feet away but refusing to look at him.

"Thank you!"

Both women immediately began writing something in their notebooks without taking their eyes off him, both wearing the same besotted expressions on their faces, clearly saying that they had enormous crushes on him, and probably had since they were teenagers.

Jack barely refrained from rolling his eyes; _'I could have told them I'm bringing a twelve-foot-tall Q'Lactorian Pus Monster to the ball and they'd still think I'm the most marvellous thing in the entire quadrant.'_

As another round of applause broke out, Ianto's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed slightly as he thoughtfully considered the photo, and then he looked at Tosh. "Go back to the palace and we'll talk about the candidates later, okay? This is great work!"

"Okay," Tosh nodded her head and stole another glance at Owen and when he met her eyes, she offered him a shy smile. "Sounds good, thanks," and she rushed off again, hoping she'd soon see the prince's valet there.

Ianto hid the picture behind his back as he strolled over to where the prince and Owen had their heads together, talking about something in low tones and he respectfully cleared his throat, not wanting them to think he was eavesdropping. Owen quickly walked away while Jack turned to regard him.

"So, welcome to my world," Jack waved his hand around the square.

"You seem to handle them with ease," and he nodded towards the two journalists who were standing a short distance away, just watching Jack, as though he were going to do something absolutely amazing and truly newsworthy at any moment.

"I had a great teacher," Jack acknowledged with a brief bow of his head. "My mother seemed to know exactly how to charm the press." He smiled fondly as the memory of standing by her side as a little boy, watching as she addressed her people, radiating warmth and genuine pleasure at seeing them all gathered there popped into his mind.

In a more serious tone, he asked, "So, what did you think of my speech?"

"I liked it," Ianto nodded. "I was moved when you spoke about your mother – your love for her so evident – and…" he lowered his voice and stepped in closer to Jack, "did you ditch your notecards?"

"Sometimes it _is_ better to speak from the heart." That was another lesson he'd carried away from his time spent with his mother.

"Yes, especially when it's someone you care for, I get it."

"Scripted formal speeches make me feel confined," Jack confided.

A little lightbulb went off in Ianto's brain. "Is that the reason you travel so much perhaps?"

Jack smiled, as though knowing exactly what Ianto was thinking. "I also make _official_ appearances when I'm out of the country."

"Yep." Ianto popped the 'P' in a way that Jack suddenly found quite endearing. "Yes, I do know that and you make some unofficial ones as well." There was a coy, teasing tone to his voice. "I've discovered something else that you do from the heart…" he pulled the picture from behind his back and showed it to Jack. "This is a photograph of you putting a roof on a schoolhouse in the Southern High Himalayas of the Locathran Province last year…"

Jack saw a picture of himself surrounded by children as he held his mobile phone high and took a selfie of the group. He was almost unrecognisable, looking scruffy and rumpled and thoroughly relaxed and happy.

"…and you did the same thing in West Monooga and there's plenty more where this came from, I hear. Honestly, it's a miracle you kept this out of the press."

Suddenly very uncomfortable with the subject at hand and more than aware that the ladies of said press were hovering nearby, Prince Jack reappeared. "Yes, that is the tricky part, but I've learned to keep under the radar."

Ignoring the warning look on Jack's face, Ianto lightly slapped Jack's chest with the photo. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "This is the kind of stuff I need to know!"

Jack frowned deeply and narrowed his eyes. "I am a little perplexed about how all this factors into finding one a mate."

Slipping the picture into his inner jacket pocket, Ianto explained, "The more I know about you the easier it is for me to find out who you belong with. It all factors into who you are."

"Is that so?" Jack regarded Ianto for a moment and then noticed Owen returning to stand just a few feet away. Turning and beginning to walk away, making Ianto quickly join him, he sighed, "So, tell me, what do you see?"

Ianto took a moment to compose his thoughts. "I see someone who is empathetic, who likes to work with his hands, and who really does want to help people."

Behind them, Owen collected the discarded notecards from the lectern and slipped them into the small leather binder he always carried with him when the prince was out in public; it contained Jack's schedule, notes on who he was going to meet, topics to discuss with them, and even a few titbits to use if conversation lagged. He was prepared for every eventuality; after all, he'd been looking after Jack since he was eighteen years old and he'd been formally assigned at the prince's valet shortly before they went off to university together. In addition to earning a degree in Fine Arts, Owen had performed all his proper duties as the prince's valet. Now, he followed Jack and Ianto at a discrete distance as they strolled along the cobblestone street.

"Mmmm," Jack agreed, "it was one of my mother's passions," and the light was back in Jack's eyes. "When I was young I travelled the world with her, visiting impoverished villages, trying to draw attention to the plight of the less fortunate." They were approaching the Hover and the chauffer quickly opened the door and then stood waiting.

"That's admirable, but why don't you do that in your own backyard?"

Jack snorted in a very un-princely-like way. "Because whenever I attend it becomes less about the cause and more about me." There was a slightly resentful tone to his voice. "If I'm halfway around the world, no one knows who I am." He dismissed his driver with a nod and held the door for Ianto.

Ianto paused before getting into the Hover. "So why don't you _not_ call the press and _don't_ put it on your schedule but just show up and make a difference?"

"You make it sound so easy," Jack cocked an eyebrow at him. "Try walking a mile in my shoes…"

"I would, but the Hover is so close," Ianto interrupted teasingly as he slid into the vehicle with a wicked smile, leaving Jack standing there holding onto the door with a bewildered but intrigued smile on his face.

Suddenly Ianto popped back out of the Hover, exclaiming, "Wait! Let's make an unscheduled stop!" and then he was gone inside the vehicle again.

"Erm… where are we headed?" Jack tried to get in as well only to find Ianto occupying his half of the bench seat.

"It's a surprise!" Ianto announced with an almost irritating cheerfulness, sliding over and settling into his seat.

Frowning deeply, Jack entered the Hover and fastened his seatbelt as the driver rushed around the Hover and closed their door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Seven

A short drive later and Prince Jack found himself walking the halls of the St James Community Centre, looking at the many pictures on the walls – all done by the children and adults of the town who had attended art classes there. He glanced into various rooms until finally he came to the main room, entering to discover that it was a large hall with an indoor playground in front of a small stage at the far end, while the area closer to the door held tables and chairs. His favourite part of the room were the shelves laden with books and art supplies that lined the left wall.

Trailing behind Jack were Ianto and Gwen, the teacher he and Tosh had met a few days earlier at the fund-raising bake sale.

"It's not every day royalty walks through the door!" she gushed quietly.

"I'm sure," Ianto laughed. "I've been explaining to Prince Jack the importance of the community centre and the whole plight with the heating right now…" He gestured towards the children wearing their coats indoors while clustered around the story circle, listening to a tale about a wee mouse named Sydney who lived in a teapot named Earl.

As Jack wandered over to a table where children of various ages were busy at work drawing things and working on craft projects, Gwen addressed him, feeling compelled to explain. "Our budget is always being tested, forcing us to decide between art and people, or cutting programs." She sighed deeply. "We're barely keeping the lights on three day a week for the afterschool program."

"That's the one Rudy likes so much, Your Highness," Ianto called out; she'd paused to watch a small boy paint the face of a ceramic angel with painstaking, tongue-in-the-corner-of-his mouth intensity.

Gwen nodded, "We used to be a full-service community centre with adult education and a sports program."

"Have you applied for a grant from the National Trust?" Jack inquired.

"Yes," Gwen sighed deeply and shrugged her shoulders. "But all we've gotten is the run-around."

"Huh…" Jack frowned as he looked around the room.

"So right now, Gwen is raising money to replace the heating system, but it's a very slow process and if things continue the way that they're going, they're going to have to close the place for good."

"Gosh, I wish there was an easy fix," Jack offered, knowing he sounded inane. "These things are quite tricky." A thought struck, "I might be able to put in a word with Board of Governors…" He saw Gwen's face light up and felt awful when he had to add, "but I can't promise anything."

"That would be amazing," Gwen still felt hopeful despite the warning.

"But in the meantime," Jack went over and placed his hand on the cold radiator, "let me see what I can do about warming the place up."

Ianto stood watching Jack with a look of pride on his face; his hastily conceived plan was beginning to come together.

"Would you mind if I came back at some point?" Jack sounded hesitant, as though unsure of his welcome.

"We would be honoured!"

Owen suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Pardon me for interrupting, Sir, but we have a ribbon cutting at Franklin Square in twenty minutes."

Gwen turned and her eyes widened with surprise. "Owen Harper? Of course, you must be Rudy's father; I thought that name sounded familiar!"

"Gwen Paisley, you haven't changed a bit."

"You're too kind." A slight blush made Gwen's cheek turn pink. "Neither have you."

Aware that Jack and Ianto were looking at them, Owen explained, "Gwen and I were at secondary school together. She was voted most likely to succeed." He chuckled uncomfortably, "I guess I was a bit of a late bloomer, I suppose."

"Well, better late than never," Gwen smiled at him.

Catching Jack's eye, Owen turned to go. "I suppose we'd better… umm…"

"Yes, duty calls." Jack stepped up next to Owen, offering him silent support. It was obvious from the look on Gwen's face that she hoped Jack would stay longer, but "a ribbon needs… umm… cutting apparently," and smiling apologetically, he allowed Gwen to escort him to the door.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness," Gwen murmured, walking slowly so that Jack could take one last look around.

Owen and Ianto walked side-by-side as they followed Jack. "For someone who claims to have been so shy back in the day you certainly made a lasting impression on her." Ianto couldn't resist gently teasing the valet.

"Yes, well, she probably just has a good memory, that's all."

"You may have missed your big chance back then, but there's no time like the present," Ianto prompted.

"No," Owen declined firmly. ' _I have my eye set on someone else,'_ he thought, remembering the shy but warm way Toshiko had smiled at him over the past few days. Like himself, he saw someone who was very intelligent but who was content to stay behind the scenes getting things done.

Based on her continuing research, Toshiko was rearranging the photographs of their potential candidates on her bulletin board when she heard the door open. Hoping it might be Owen, although her little voice told her that he would have knocked first, she turned to see Ianto coming in.

"Hi!"

Ianto gave her a weary smile. "Hi." He tossed his overcoat onto a chair as he crossed the room towards her. "Wow."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Ianto confirmed. "Two dedications, a ribbon cutting, another unveiling…"

"Wow!"

"And we still managed to make it to the St James Community Centre. The prince seems genuinely moved by their plight."

"Well, it looks like our dark prince is finally starting to show his lighter side," Tosh nodded approvingly.

"And just in time." Ianto went over to the table and poured himself a cup of tea, grateful that he'd called ahead to let Toshiko know they were nearly back. "So, we are down to our top ten."

"Uh… well…" Tosh turned back to the board she'd been rearranging and pulled a photo off, "nine, actually."

Ianto grimaced. "What happened?"

"Turns out one of our favourites is away travelling and she's unavailable."

"No!" Ianto took the picture, temporarily abandoning his tea. "Oh, no, not Petra Vulnokovich! I love her!"

"I know, and she would have been one of our very top contenders, too," Tosh sympathised. "But as you know, timing is everything."

"Yeah," Ianto retrieved his tea, in need of its comfort now more than ever. He moved around the desk to study Toshiko's board.

"I guess it's time for you to work your magic," Tosh told him, "and find our prince his perfect princess."

"And I think…" Jack carefully pushed the top rotor on Rudy's model helicopter, "you are good to go!" He beamed at the little boy, just as thrilled as Rudy that the craft project he'd been working on so determinedly was working properly.

"It looks just like a real one," Rudy grinned excitedly.

"It should," Owen approached the table, cup of fragrant coffee in hand. "His Highness used to fly a real one back when he was in the war with the Krahd."

Rudy's eyes widened. "That must have been cool!"

"Not as cool as when he won the Medal of Courage," Owen whispered loudly.

"No! Really?"

Before either man could answer, Ianto stepped down into the kitchen and cleared his throat. It was the first time he'd been below stairs, but one of the footmen had told him that was the best place to find Owen if he wasn't on the main floors.

Owen looked up and saw him, immediately straightening up and returning his coffee cup to the tray. "Come along then, young squire, thank Prince Jack for his assistance and if we finish supper early enough we can kick the ball around."

Jack on the other hand lost the open, happy look he'd worn while helping Rudy and replaced it with a look of guarded awareness.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Rudy smiled at his dad's boss.

"You're welcome," Jack ruffled Rudy's hair affectionately.

Owen and Rudy left the room, Jack stood up and put his jacket back on and the easy familiarity of friends and family was gone.

"So," Ianto approached the prince. "What's on your schedule for today? Do you have a dedication or a ribbon cutting or something?"

"Nope," Jack settled his coat on his shoulders and adjusted the collar. "I had Owen clear my schedule."

Ianto was taken aback. "Oh… what's your plan?"

"Actually, I'm going to work." He set off at a brisk pace, climbing several flights of stairs, forcing Ianto to hurry after him.

"Where are you going?" Ianto was confused. "What do you mean, work?"

"I'm heading off to St James to do what I really love, roll up my sleeves. With any luck I can repair the heating and buy them a little more time."

Into was inordinately pleased. "Look at you! You're a nice guy after all!" and he got closer to him, whacking him on the arm with his notebook, never noticing the surprised look on the prince's face. Jack couldn't remember the last time anyone had hit him without his being in a war zone.

"Thanks?"

"Well, you know what I mean," Ianto frowned at him. "After you get past that whole gruff exterior prince thing…"

"Yes, yes," Jack was beginning to get irritated. He'd planned to simply slip out of the palace for a few hours and return with none the wiser, but now he could tell Ianto was going to make a big deal out of all. "Enough about me, what about you?"

"What _what_ about me?"

"Well, I'm curious," they turned into the main entry hall and Jack stopped, turning to look at him. "Even though you've never found it you still claim to believe that there's one true love out there for us all."

"Yes."

"Then why are you still single?"

Ianto's jaw dropped but before he could respond, the prince continued.

"Is it because you're a perfectionist?"

"What?"

"Control freak?"

Unable to find an immediate answer Ianto found himself making a few nonsensical noises.

"Why is someone who makes a living finding other people the love of their lives still single?" Jack asked his question with a note of satisfaction, sure he'd just stumped the expert.

Hearing the challenge being thrown down, Ianto barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the prince. "Okay, fair enough," he acknowledged. "My problem is the closer I am to finding other people a match, the further away I am from understanding exactly what it is that _I_ want."

Jack arched an eyebrow as he observed, "I think we just found your occupational hazard." And with a smug grin he turned to go down the stairs.

"However," Ianto's one word stopped him in his tracks and he turned back around. "I _know_ love. I've seen it in the eyes of my clients. I've watched their lives change because of it. Love speaks for itself." He tried very hard to keep the smugness from his words.

Nonplussed for a moment, Jack just stared at him.

"Speaking of work," Ianto pivoted smartly on his heel and began to walk away. "I'm going to get back to it."

"Uh… what do you mean?" Jack looked at him, then down the stairs and then back at Ianto who was looking askance at him. "I… um… thought you were coming with me to St James."

"I'm sure that would be fun," Ianto grinned at him, "but I'm sure the heating is just fine in your capable royal hands. No, I've got to go meet and vet your girls."

Jack opened and closed his mouth. "Oh… then I take it your research with me is over?"

"No!" Ianto laughed. "It's never over, not until you walk down the aisle and say, 'I do'!" and Jack found it slightly disconcerting to see that there was quite a mad scientist look in his matchmaker's eye.

"Well, that's daunting," Jack's instinct said to take a step back but he held his ground.

"For which one of us?"

The royal eyebrow rose. "Perhaps both," he turned away, and as they went their separate ways he could hear Ianto's laughter following him down the stairs where a servant waited to hand him his toolbox.


	8. Chapter 8

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Eight

The parlour where Ianto chose to conduct his interviews was bright and cheerful, quite homey and welcoming, with a sense of warmth he hadn't really found in any of the rooms he'd been previously. Ianto had a small suspicion that despite the passage of time since Queen Cristina had passed away that this had been one of her favourite rooms. The walls were covered with rose-coloured water-shot silk with a subtle pattern that seemed to change depending on the angle it was being viewed. There were large windows which drenched the room in natural light and there was a distinct absence of the heavy floor-to-ceiling drapery found elsewhere in the palace. The furniture while fairly substantial was light in appearance, the wood painted in a soft cream while the upholstery fabric in a deep shade of rose complemented the walls. The carpeting on the floor was a stunning field of large flowers – some roughly a foot square – in every shade of red imaginable. All in all, it was a stunning effect.

Wanting to keep things casual and friendly, Ianto and the woman he was currently interviewing sat on the same side of the large table, facing one another so that there was no barrier between them. He wanted the women to feel like they were having a conversation with him rather than being interviewed.

"So, do you ever horseback ride, by any chance?" Ianto sipped his coffee.

"No, never," the woman admitted in halting English, "they… so big!"

They both laughed gaily.

Having finally wrestled the radiator free from its mountings and gotten the heavy thing onto a trolley, Jack was wheeling it out to the removal truck when Owen came running down the front steps of St James Community Centre. He thrust a sheaf of papers in front of Jack and handed him a pen.

"Just sign here…" he pointed, "and again, just there."

Rolling his eyes, Jack set the trolley upright and did as requested.

The moment he was done, Owen grabbed his pen back. "Yup, okay, thanks!"

Before Jack the chance to say anything, his valet was off and running, to where Jack had no idea. Shaking his head, he delivered the radiator to the back of the truck and then quickly stepped over to help the removal men lift a rolled-up old rug and other debris in there as well.

As he continued to interview his top nine candidates for Jack's princess-to-be, Ianto chose the area they strolled through in the palace according to the woman's personality; as they chatted amicably and he asked his questions, Ianto took careful note of how the women reacted to their surroundings, to the priceless works of art on the walls, the statuary on tables and pedestals scattered around the many halls. While he detected a slight amount of avarice in two of the women, all in all things were going admirably.

"Thank you for coming," he told the tall brunette, "you should hear something within a week or so." He waited a moment until the footman met her to escort her to the front door and when he turned around to go replenish his tea, he found Owen standing right beside him, as though he'd magically materialised.

"So," he nodded toward the receding figure of the brunette. "Are we any closer to finding a match?" He was dismayed to hear a slight tone of desperation in his voice.

"I hope so," Ianto sighed, "it is a bit of a work in progress," and his eyes suddenly got a wicked twinkle, "kinda like you and Tosh…" and he winked at Owen mischievously as he went back towards the lounge.

Stunned by Ianto's words, Owen couldn't do anything but stand there, trying to figure out how on Cibron Four the man could possibly know that he was developing feelings for Toshiko Sato.

"Mr Jones." Owen's words stopped Ianto at the door and he turned back. "Who exactly is the client here?"

Ianto smiled. "When the spirit moves, I like to offer my services for free."

"Ahh…" Owen pursed his lips, trying not to show his displeasure. "Even when it's not wanted?"

"Sometimes people don't recognise what they want."

"What I want, Mr Jones, is for you to find Prince Jack the woman he's going to spend the rest of his life with. Isn't that why you were hired, because you can find him his 'happily-ever-after'?"

"Well, yes, of course and we will, I promise you," Ianto frowned, "but don't you deserve the same?"

"I had my chance with love and now I have Rudy to love and care for." Owen straightened his shoulders. "But we're discussing the prince. Sometimes he just needs a push in the right direction."

"Well, he's not the only one," Ianto said softly. "What's stopping you from opening up your heart?"

Owen sighed deeply. "Since my wife died I have been wary of putting myself out there again," he reluctantly admitted.

"Of course you have, it's only natural. You want to protect yourself," Ianto agreed as he walked back over to the valet's side. "And protect your son so he doesn't get hurt… that's totally understandable!"

More than a little uncomfortable talking about himself, Owen shifted from foot to foot.

"Owen," Ianto waited until the man was looking him in the eye. "There's still so much more of you to share," and he could see the moment his words registered and Owen's attitude changed. Smiling again, Ianto reached out and clapped him on the shoulder before leaving him alone in the hall.

Owen stood there, a feeling of hope welling up inside him, something he hadn't felt since he'd buried Rudy's mother. Part of him wanted to go in and talk to Ianto some more, to have the man help clarify what he was feeling, but the bigger part of him wanted to keep to his schedule for the day, using his work as a way not to think about it at all. Finally, with a wry smile and a shrug of his shoulders, he hurried off down the hall towards the stairs that would eventually lead him to the kitchen.

Ianto straightened the photographs laid out before him and then grinned with delight. "Our top three candidates." He was inordinately pleased that they'd made so much progress.

"I know!" Tosh enthused and then, "Should I let the others down gently," she asked soberly.

"No!" He shook his head vigorously. "Not until the prince makes his decision. They're all still on hold."

"Okay, then I'll…" Tosh was interrupted by a knock the door. "Come on in," she called out as she and Ianto turned in that direction.

The door opened slowly and King Franklin stepped inside. "Mr Jones?"

"Oh, Your Majesty!" As Ianto hastily straightened his tie he noticed from the corner of his eye Tosh disappearing at a quick march into the other room. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Pardon the intrusion," the King nervously smoothed the front of his jacket. "I was hoping to catch a glimpse of our matchmaker at work." He approached the table and perused the three photos. "So, I presume one of these lovely ladies might strike my son's fancy?"

"Oh, I really hope so. The prince has been quite a challenge…" The King looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Ianto quickly amended his words. "I mean in a good way!"

"Oh, it's all right," Franklin smiled to show there had been offense taken. "So, you are confident that you can find Prince Jack his one true love?"

Ianto turned to face the king head on. "Yes, Your Majesty. If I wasn't I would never have taken the job."

"Good." The King spun on his heel and headed for the door, tossing over his shoulder, "because we are running out of time."

Acutely aware of that fact, Ianto gripped his hands together tightly and clenched his jaw, swallowing down the quick comeback that sprang to his lips.

In the hall above the entry way, Ianto paced anxiously back and forth, back and forth, fiddling with his tie over and over again, and fanning himself with a file. "Oh God, why am I so nervous!" he muttered.

"You are?" Jack appeared startling Ianto. " _I_ am the one going on a date."

Ianto spun to look at him and knew his jaw dropped just a wee bit. Jack looked like a film star headed for the red carpet. His tuxedo was bespoke, naturally, but his tailor had made the suit look like it had been painted on, its fit perfectly emphasising Jack's broad shoulders, then nipping in at the waist, and for some reason, Ianto thought the man's legs were longer than ever. Prince Jack looked every inch the regal heir that he was, and he made Ianto's mouth water.

"You look great," he finally managed to say.

Jack shot his cuffs and walked over to ianto. "So why are you so nervous?"

Ianto shrugged self-consciously. "My whole business is kinda riding on this, on getting this right."

One royal eyebrow shot up. "Silly me, and I've just got the future of the entire kingdom riding on you getting this right."

"You win." With a deep sigh, Ianto forced a smile on his face. "Are you ready?"

"I think so."

"Okay," Ianto gestured for the prince to walk towards the left hall. "Normally, I'd have you do three separate dates, but since we're pressed for time, we're having a cocktail party. Just a simple, get-to-know-you affair, to see if we can find a natural spark." He opened the file and handed Jack the first CV complete with photograph of a handsome brunette. "This is Lillian, she's a countess, happily involved in various charities."

Jack glanced at her picture and was about to read her CV when Ianto handed him the next paper.

"This is Juliette, she is a duchess and uhhh…"

Juliette was blonde, striking the perfect model's pose for the camera.

"…and a poly-sci major," he seemed to rush those words, and "this…" he gave Jack the last paper, the photo attached showing a second brunette. "This is Sascha, she is a sports enthusiast, comes from a very good family…"

"These are all very nice selections," Jack waved his hand at the trio of papers, "but how will I know which one is right for me?" and he gave the papers back to Ianto.

Ianto shrugged. "You'll just… know."

"Says the man who's never actually been in love." He saw the look of sadness pass over Ianto's face and quickly added, "but you've seen it on the faces of your clients, yes, I know."

Into stepped in front of the prince. "It's about butterflies!" he blurted out.

"Butterflies…" Jack repeated slowly, wondering if his matchmaker had just snapped his twig.

"You know, butterf… when you get excited and you meet someone and you go 'errrr'," and to his eternal embarrassment, Ianto waved his arms around and just knew between the weird noise and those flapping arms that he looked like a girl… a really crazy girl. To make matters worse, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out with his finger and poking Prince Jack in the belly as he said, "you know, that 'errrrr', right there?"

Sure that Ianto was either having him on or else he'd had popped off to Crazy Town, Jack tried to appear agreeable. "You mean like indigestion?"

For a split second Ianto considered that answer. "Well, yeah, but no. But happy. It's happy indigestion!"

"Okay, okay… I mean… okay." Jack had no idea what Ianto was talking about but he quickly agreed. "I'll be on the look-out for butterflies."

Relieved beyond measure that he'd made some kind of sense to Jack, Ianto sighed happily. "But don't overthink it, just be yourself and let nature take its course."

"You make it sound so easy." Jack narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Ianto.

"It _is_ easy," Ianto reached out and adjusted Jack's bowtie. "You know, everybody's always asking me, telling me, what is the secret? What is the secret to falling in love and you know the secret? There _is_ no secret." While he was talking, he spun Jack around, settling the shoulders of the tuxedo jacket, brushing down the arms, and then he spun him back and gave him a good once-over look.

"You just open up your heart and let it come to you."

Jack squared his shoulders. "Wish me luck?"

"You don't need it, you're going to have fun."

Jack gave him one last look – one which Ianto couldn't decipher – before Prince Jack straightened his shoulders, lifted his chin and opened the door to the lounge.

"Good luck," Ianto added softly, feeling like a proud parent sending his son off to prom. ' _All that's lacking is the awkward photo.'_


	9. Chapter 9

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Nine

It was a truly dismal day on the Boeshane Peninsula, with a thick, low-lying cloud layer that no sun could penetrate. Having sought but not found Prince Jack around the palace, Ianto learned from a footman that he'd taken a Hover out early and gone to the community centre, so Ianto followed suit. When he arrived at St James, there was no one about, but he could hear clanging sounds coming from downstairs, so with a paper-wrapped package in hand, Ianto descended into the centre's basement.

This time it was Ianto Jones' turn to ogle a fine-looking bottom; Jack was on his hands and knees working on the boiler and Ianto took a moment to assess one of the prince's finer assets but when he saw Jack move he quickly chirped out a cheery greeting

"Hi! You're up early!" Ianto walked into the room as though he'd just arrived and held out the parcel. "Owen said you'd skipped breakfast so I brought you a few of these."

"Thank you, that's nice," Jack put down his tools, brushed off his hands and accepted the bag, opening it to find several freshly baked muffins. "So, is feeding the prince one of your matchmaking responsibilities?" He selected a chocolate muffin and sniffed it and canted his head then sniffed it again.

"No, no, it isn't," Ianto shrugged, "I just find my clients are a bit more agreeable on a full stomach." He waited expectantly as he watched Jack study the muffin like it was going to reveal the secrets of the universe to him. Finally, he couldn't take the suspense any longer. "Sooo…?"

"Sooo…?" Jack copied him as he put the chocolate muffin back in the bag and pull out a honey nut one instead.

Ianto rolled his eyes and slapped at Jack's arm. "How did it go last night?! Come on, I came down here bearing muffins!"

"Well… ummm…" Jack set the paper bag on top of the water heater, put his muffin on that and picked up his tools again. He felt sad having to disillusion Ianto, but there was no getting around it. "No… no butterflies." He sounded strangely apologetic, as though he'd let the Welshman down somehow. Unable to look at Ianto, he knelt back down and resumed his repairs on the boiler.

Ianto Jones was flabbergasted and it showed as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open for a moment, "That's ridiculous!" he exclaimed. "Every single one of those women was butterfly worthy!"

"Oh, I'm sure for someone," Jack felt compelled to explain, "just not for me."

Feeling his temper starting to rise, Ianto struggled to maintain a polite tone. "No! Based on analytics and my instinct," he protested, "they matched your personality criteria."

Jack shrugged, "Well, I don't know what to say then." He frowned as he looked at the spanner in his hand, realising his adjustment needed a different tool and rose, putting his current tools down again. "Maybe you're losing your touch," and the royal eyebrow shot up annoyingly.

"No… ahhh… I… You…!" Anger made Ianto splutter out nonsensical noises. "I am not _losing_ my touch! Just because none of those women struck your fancy doesn't mean I don't have another trick up my sleeve," he announced smugly.

"Well then, have at it," Jack mocked, selecting a socket wrench and attaching the head then returning to his crouched position.

"I will!" Ianto crowed triumphantly, "In fact, I saved the best for last!"

"Oh yeah? Where are you keeping her, in your pocket?"

"She's in transit, actually." Ianto turned to go, inordinately pleased with himself for having had the last word.

"Transit!" Jack jumped to his feet. "What, are you shipping her in from Soulmates Incorporated?" he snarked with a frown.

"Go ahead and make your jokes, just make them, and then when you meet her and you fall in love with her, guess who's going to be laughing then!" Ianto kept backing towards the door.

Jack looked at him and cocked his head, waiting for the answer.

Ianto's face twitched with a combination smile and frown as he muttered, "okay, didn't think that one through," but then his bravado returned. "You just… you just prepare yourself, cos you're going to be bowled over!" and as he turned to leave he ran face-first into the door frame, bouncing off it slightly. Trying to maintain as much dignity as possible after that, Ianto refused to look at Jack, but waved his hand behind him as he declared, "She's amazing!"

"Can't wait!" Jack struggled mightily to keep the grin off his face, but it really was just too funny to watch the normally calm and collected Ianto Jones completely lose his cool and when he was sure he couldn't hear Ianto's footsteps any longer, Jack burst out with great guffaws of laughter, having to bend over and support his hands on his knees as he laughed til tears fell from his eyes.

Having recovered his dignity but still a bit angry, Ianto arrived on the upper landing where he noticed Gwen struggling with a large box as she came up the entryway stairs and when he saw Owen coming around the corner and realised the valet would get there before he could, Ianto called out to him and pointed.

"Owen, a little help?"

Owen immediately hurried over and took the box. "Where would you like it?"

Gwen gestured, "over there on the table is fine."

Ianto passed them by, walking at a furious pace, paused for a moment to look over his shoulder at them and then kept going.

"Funny how we haven't run into one another before now," Gwen observed, giving Owen a bright smile.

"How quickly the time has gone since we were at school," Owen agreed, feeling slightly uncomfortable as he recognised the predatory look on her face. He turned away and began looking through the books in one of the other boxes.

Gwen stepped closer. "I just remember you always being so helpful back then. Always the first to raise your hand to volunteer in class."

Owen snorted. "My father was a butler to the Royal family, so perhaps the instinct to help is in our blood." He turned back to the books, choosing one to take out and leaf through its pages.

Afraid of being dismissed, she searched desperately for something to say, some way to prolong their conversation. "It must be hard, being a single father."

Raised to be a gentleman no matter how much he wanted to get away from the woman, Owen sighed softly, set the book down and turned to her. "Well, I've gotten used to it, I suppose." Against his better judgement, he confessed, "My worry is it's awfully hard for Rudy, but…"

Gwen stepped even closer as she finished his thought. "But it's equally hard on you," and just as she was about to reach out and take his hand in hers, Owen got lucky.

"Owen!" Jack bellowed from below stairs. "Can you hand me the crescent wrench!"

Grateful for the intervention, Owen stepped back, smiling awkwardly. "Duty calls," and he beat a hasty retreat, leaving Gwen standing there with a very annoyed look on her face.

"So close!" she muttered as she gave one of the boxes a sharp jab.

Back in their war room, Ianto was pacing the length of the floor while going over the pictures and CVs of the remaining candidates while Tosh was going through their email.

"Oh, Ianto!" she exclaimed. "Come look at this cute photo we got from that girl at the wedding in New New York a few months ago! The one who asked you about the prom date?"

Ianto paused as he passed her desk and glanced at the laptop. "Oh yeah, oh that's so sweet. Great, my pro bono work is paying off aces. As far as the patient on the table…?" He held up a photo of an attractive brunette. "We need to find Petra."

"O… kaaay…" Tosh spoke hesitantly. "I understand she is one of your favourites, but she might still be travelling."

"I don't care! I don't… care!" Ianto felt like he was slipping off his perch and it was all he could do to keep his hands tightly clenched in his pockets so he didn't wave his arms around like a bloody great bird trying to take flight. "I don't care if she's in outer space, I need her here _yesterday!"_

Tosh had never seen Ianto look so… unnerved before.

"Find her!" He finally gave in to the desperate need and started waving his arms about like a demented windmill. "Tell her… tell her we're going to change her life!"

"Okay, I will find her," she agreed, although she really wasn't sure how, "and when I do I will schedule a formal dinner with the prince."

"Great!" Ianto turned away and then turned back. "No! Not formal… the last one… it was… my mistake." His brain was churning. "It was too stuffy and so pomp and circumstance and all the stuff the prince hates. Make th… this one more casual."

"Okay," Tosh nodded, her fingers flying over the keyboard and then, "Oh!" Suddenly her eyes flew open wide and she stared at Ianto. "I forgot to tell you!"

Ianto felt his stomach drop. ' _Oh dear Goddess, what now?!'_

"The King wants to see you in his study," she told him apologetically.

"Ha-ha… great!" Ianto felt like he was in year seven again and being summoned to the headmaster's office. "The hits just keep on coming." He turned and flounced out of the room.

"I agree, last night did not go as anticipated," Ianto began while King Franklin looked at him sceptically. "However, we have plenty of promising options we're still exploring." He plastered on his most winning smile.

"You do realise that the Jubilee Celebration is mere days away."

"I know, I know! I do, Your Majesty!" Rats began gnawing at Ianto's innards.

"I do not have to remind you that we both have a lot on the line here."

Ianto could feel a tiny trickle of sweat making its way down the middle of his back as he stood before the king and his massive desk. "You do not. I am sticking my reputation on a winning outcome."

King Franklin nodded. "I'm happy to hear it."

Clasping his hands together nervously, Ianto nodded back. "Good. Thank you, Your Majesty." He performed his best bow and waited to be dismissed.

It took a moment for the king to realise what Ianto was doing. "Oh… erm… you may go."

"Thank you," and Ianto backed away and then hurried out the door as quickly as he could and still maintain some semblance of dignity.

Watching his young matchmaker hurry away, King Franklin made sure Ianto was out of earshot before he burst into quiet laughter. There was just something about the Welshman trying so hard to hide his case of nerves that the king found quite endearing.

"And… I… think… we're back in… business!" Jack screwed the thermostat onto the radiator and immediately the heating turned itself on. "Now we're fixed!" He stood up and surveyed his handiwork with pride. "How long it will stay that way is anyone's guess," he admitted with a rueful grin.

Owen dusted his hands off on his trousers, and then frowning as he realised what he'd done, he did his best to brush his trousers clean. "I'm sure they'll take what they can get." He and Jack walked over to the table and put their tools in the box. "I must say, Sir, there's nothing quite as satisfying as a hard day's work."

"Yep." Without realising it, Jack popped the 'P' just he'd heard Ianto do. "It certainly does feed the soul, Owen." He retrieved a cloth from the toolbox, sat back against the counter and began to wipe his hands. "Speaking of, how about joining me for a steak supper at the lodge?"

"Ahhh…" For a moment Owen looked embarrassed. "I would love to sir, but I believe I'm going to have plans."

"Oh?"

"A date, actually." The valet sat next to the prince.

Jack cocked an inquiring eyebrow. "A date?"

"Yes," Owen swallowed hard. "With Toshiko Sato, hopefully. I'm going to ask her as soon as we get back to the palace." He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, as though inviting confidence. "I would never have had the courage to ask her out if it hadn't been for your matchmaker. At first I think he wanted to set me up with Gwen, here at the Centre, but once he convinced me that I could do it, I found the person I actually wanted to ask was Miss Sato."

Jack found himself frowning. "So it's Ianto who's arranging everything?"

Owen shook his head. "No, not at all. Nothing's been arranged, I haven't even asked. She could very well say no…" A look of horror came over his face. "What if she says no?! How will I face her tomorrow? We still have to work together until the Jubilee Celebration." A note of panic set in. "What do I do now!"

"Slow down, Owen!" Jack held up his hands. "You're way ahead of yourself here! You haven't even asked her out yet so how can she already have said no?"

Owen heaved out a deep sigh. "Yes, I now… you're right…" He rolled his eyes. "It's just been so long since I've asked anyone out for a date – Katie was the last and truth be told," he lowered his voice and glanced both ways before revealing, "she asked me."

"No!" Jack laughed. "I never would have guessed you were such a ladies man!"

"Yeah, well, I hide it well." Owen grinned.

Jack put away the cloth, locked the tool box and stood up. "I guess I'll be dining alone then." He took several steps away, paused and looked aback at Owen. "Feeling the butterflies already, are you?"

"Sir?"

"Nothing," Jack shook his head. "Have fun."

Owen managed a sort of sick grimace as a substitute for a smile.

Sucking in a deep breath and straightening his shoulders, Owen turned back and strode over to Tosh. "Miss Sa… Toshiko!"

She looked up hopefully.

"I'd really like to take you to dinner some time…" Owen found it was easier to get the words out than he'd expected. "I mean, if you want to."

"Yes!" Happiness lit up Tosh's face. "I would like that, very much."

Owen gave a huge sigh of relief. "Good… I mean great!" and he smiled back before walking from the room, feeling so much lighter than he had before. ' _Damn, but I'm good at this dating stuff!'_


	10. Chapter 10

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Ten

The driver came around the front of the Hover and opened Jack's door for him and Jack exited with a smile, "Thanks." He walked briskly toward the restaurant's door, nodding briefly at a couple who smiled at him as they exited. He entered and glanced around at the old-world charm of the restaurant which had been in business for nearly two hundred and fifty years. Nothing had changed since the first time his parents had brought him there; still the roughly hewn beams and floorboards, wooden tables scarred with age from generations of diners, candles everywhere despite there being electric lights scattered here and there around the periphery, and there were always fresh flowers on every table, even in the dead of winter.

Movement caught his eye and he turned to see Ianto seated at a table by the fireplace.

Walking over, Jack smiled. "What a pleasant surprise."

Ianto smiled. "Hi."

"Here I was thinking I would be dining alone, and now you can be my plus one." Jack found that he was really quite pleased with this unexpected turn of events.

"Well," Ianto shrugged. "Not exactly. I told you I had something planned," he stood and smiled. "And I know your father is certainly anticipating me finishing my job before the Jubilee Ball."

Jack's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And how is the search going?"

"You're about to find out…" Ianto glanced beyond the prince, smiled brightly and started walking towards the door.

Jack turned to see what had caught his attention.

"Lady Petra Vulnokovich, meet His Royal Highness Prince John of Boeshane." Ianto worked hard to keep the smugness from his voice as he performed the introductions.

"Your Ladyship," Jack snapped a brief bow and shook her hand. "Jack, please."

"And please call me Petra," the young brunette woman smiled warmly.

Ianto felt an unpleasant jolt as he saw the way Jack was staring into her eyes. _'I cannot be jealous!'_ he scolded himself severely. "Well, you two have fun," and he quickly marched toward the door, steeling himself not to look back.

Jack led the way to their table and held out Petra's chair.

"When they said dinner at the palace, I thought 'stuffy', but this is a wonderful respite from buttoned-down collars." She smiled engagingly.

"Yes," Jack glanced around the room with pride. "Yes, it is."

The waitress, wearing an old-fashioned Victorian-style shirt with a pin-tucked front, long sleeves and a high collar above a full-length fitted skirt appeared at Jack's elbow and handed Petra a menu and then Jack.

"Thank you," Petra murmured.

"So, red or white wine?" he asked.

"Red, please."

"Hmm. Good choice."

Unable to stop himself, Ianto paused in the open door and looked back into the dining room. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but the look on Jack's face said it all.

' _I have found the prince a match.'_ For the first time, success didn't make him happy. Not one little bit. Feeling like he'd just been gut-punched, Ianto Jones slipped out the door, closing it firmly behind him. He walked blindly to the Hover and then just stood there staring off into space while the driver stood patiently waiting for him to move so he could open the dor.

Jack looked up from his menu just in time to see Ianto's coattails disappear as the door shut and he felt a strange pang, like he'd missed out on something special by not having dinner with the Welshman. His attention was brought back to the moment at hand when Petra laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"What do you recommend?" she asked softly.

Opening the menu, Jack smiled. "Well, two of my favourites… do you like steak?"

"Yes, I do."

"There's always the fish, freshly caught from the river that runs right out back," Jack offered as well.

In the matchmaking war room of their large suite, only one photograph remained on Toshiko's Quadrant map: Petra Vulnokovich. Hidden in the shadows of the room, Ianto stood by one of the large windows that overlooked the gardens, staring off into the darkness. Across the room, Toshiko sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, its dancing flames the only light in the room.

Finally, realising he was chilly, Ianto pulled his sweater closer around him and turned away from the window. "Well, they're still not back yet."

"I'd say that's a pretty good sigh, right?" Tosh was aware that Ianto was in a weird mood and had been ever since he'd gotten back from setting up Jack's dinner date.

"Yeah, yeah," Ianto frowned and wrapped his arms around himself. "I guess so."

"What do you mean 'you guess'; are you having second thoughts?"

"Oh no! No, of course not!" Ianto hastened to reassure her. "It's just… I mean… it's just that I've never had so much riding on a positive outcome before. I mean, it's the whole business!" He perched anxiously on the edge of chair by the fireplace.

Sensing that Ianto wanted to talk, Tosh closed her computer and looked at him, seeing the worry in his eyes, the frown lines on his forehead, the way his lips were pursed. Normally he was always so confident, so sure that everything was going just right, but now… seeing Ianto like this gave Tosh butterflies in her stomach and not the good kind either. These were more like bats

"And it's more than that, you know?" Ianto leaned forward. "I've gotten to know Jack. I've watched him grow and open his heart…" He looked at his best friend, hoping that she understood what he was trying to say without him actually having to say it.

"I mean, he's a good man and he deserves to have someone who loves him." Ianto sighed deeply and sat back in the deep chair, melting into the shadows created by the wings.

"Like you do?" Tosh smiled gently.

"Huh?" Startled, Ianto stared at her. "Like I do what?"

Tosh wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"Love him?" Ianto voice came out quite high and squeaky. "Are you saying…" he couldn't stop the burst of nervous embarrassed giggles that erupted. "That's completely ridiculous!"

Toshiko looked at her boss and best friend knowingly.

"Don't… no… I…" Ianto waved dismissively, so very glad that the blush currently burning its way up his neck, across his cheeks and around to his ears was hidden by shadows from the dancing firelight. "But… I mean, we have spent some time together, so, of course, I mean naturally…" He refused to meet her eyes and then suddenly turned to her with a frown. "Why do you say that?" he demanded.

She just shrugged and smiled. "No reason."

"I care about him," Ianto spread his hands as he tried to explain.

"I know you do."

"I mean, I _do_ care about him, I care about all my clients, it's what I do… I invest in my clients…" Inspiration struck. "It would be completely inappropriate for me to develop romantic feelings for a client! That would be… that's just… I mean, people trust me not to do things like that! It's just…"

Even Ianto could tell he was protesting far too much but he just couldn't stop. "I mean, that's just completely outrageous!" He couldn't look at Tosh anymore, couldn't take seeing the know-it-all look on her face, the one that said _, 'Really?_ ' and ' _Who are you trying to kid?_ ' and ' _Can you hear yourself right now?'_

He found another argument to prove that Tosh was wrong. "He's a prince, for God's sake! I mean, who lives in a house like this?" He flung his arms around, encompassing the twelve-foot ceilings, the lead casement windows, the gold leaf trim everywhere, the masterpiece paintings on the walls, the crystal chandeliers hanging from above, the hand-knotted carpets underfoot… "I mean, look at all this!" He risked a glance at Tosh and the look on her face just made it all the worse.

"You know they really should not build fireplaces this big in rooms like this!" He leapt from his chair, wrapped his sweater around himself again despite being too warm and started pacing the length of the room, finally fleeing out the door into the hallway.

Tosh grinned from ear to ear as she watched him go, then reopened her laptop and resumed her email to her grandfather. "Oh, Yan, I definitely believe you."

Ianto found himself wandering the hallways of the palace, nibbling on his victory chocolate bar and muttering "Ridiculous!" over and over again. "I'm stupid, I'm so stupid!"

"Ianto?" Jack mounted the steps two at a time and walked over to Ianto, who managed – just – to successfully fight down his flight instinct. "Why are you pacing around the palace in your…" He paused and looked Ianto up and down, taking in his rumpled 'I just got out of bed' look, with the oversized sweater covering his pyjamas, but his eyes remained glued to the bunny slippers on the man's feet. "Your pyjamas? It's nearly midnight."

Glancing about shiftily, Ianto blurted out, "You're right! I'm sorry. I better… I should go to bed." He turned and began to hurry off down the hall, only to be stopped by Jack's next words.

"Aren't you going to ask me how it went with Petra?"

"Duw!" Ianto swore under his breath in Welsh before plastering a feigned smile on his face and turning around. "Yes, of course, how did it go with Petra?"

Jack rushed up to him. "Great!" he announced. "I couldn't have asked for it to have gone any better." He was so earnest that Ianto's heart clutched. "We were just talking, half the night. I can't believe I'm saying this but I really think she's something special."

"You do? Wow." Fighting to remain upbeat, Ianto nodded. "Yes, she is, she absolutely is."

"Do you think she might be the one for me?"

Ianto smiled. "I wouldn't have set you up with her if I didn't."

"Well…" Jack seemed surprised by his answer for some reason. "Then I guess I have a lot of thinking to do."

Mesmerised by the happiness shining from Jack's eyes, Ianto missed the beat for a moment. "You do?" and then he caught himself. "Yes! Yes, you do!" he hastily amended.

"Which is a good thing, right?"

Ianto patted Jack's arm. "We could not have done any better," he reassured his client.

"Yes, well…" Jack sighed. "Good night, Ianto."

"Good night, Your Highness," Ianto nodded with a bright yet so _very_ fake smile, which was gone the instant Jack passed him and walked off toward his quarters. "Good night, Jack," he whispered into the empty hallway. He could feel a great fist closing itself around his heart and beginning to squeeze and without even thinking of the mess it might cause, he shoved the half-eaten and partially unwrapped chocolate bar into the pocket of his robe, which he then realised had been hanging open the entire time he'd been talking to the prince, so that Jack could see his Winnie-the-Pooh PJs. He sighed deeply, "Ianto, you bloody twpsyn!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Eleven

"Okay, so Jack is spending the day with Petra…" Tosh called out from her bedroom as she finished getting dressed, coming out to the main room to find Ianto sorting through all the profile sheets she'd created, Ianto had eliminated and she'd then filed away. Tosh frowned as she watched her boss scan them and toss them one after another onto the floor.

"So why are you still reading through profiles?" she asked gently, sitting on the arm of the sofa next to Ianto's chair.

"I don't know." Two more pages hit the floor. "I think… I feel like maybe I oversold him on Petra being _the_ _one_ and I want to make sure he has options."

"Okay," Tosh considered this. "And?"

"And, I don't want him to feel stuck or like he's convincing himself that…" Ianto floundered for words, "he…"

"He's in love," Tosh offered helpfully,

"Yeah," Ianto nodded, "I mean, nobody wants to feel that way." Another candidate's profile hit the floor.

"Hey, Ianto?"

"Hmm…?" ianto grunted as he studied the profile of a pretty blonde.

"You're always telling me to trust my gut; what's your gut telling you?"

Caught off guard by the question, Ianto flapped the papers in his hands around. "Well, we ran the numbers…" He got up from his chair and started pacing in front of Tosh. "Petra's definitely the best match," he stroked his chin thoughtfully, wondering where he could have gone wrong, he'd been so careful, so thorough.

Tosk grinned, it was unusual to see Ianto so flustered. "No, that's not what I'm asking." She waited until Ianto was looking at her to continue. "What's your gut telling you about _Jack?_ "

"Oh, I know what you're getting at," Ianto smirked, "but she's the one."

Toshiko pursed her lips and wisely said nothing, although the look on her face spoke volumes and ianto didn't like it one little bit.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then snapped it closed, pivoted on his heel and with his head held high, he marched from the room, although in Tosh's opinion it was definitely more of a pouty flounce. She couldn't keep the grin off her face as he disappeared.

' _If only I'd had a camera for that little performance, I'd have blackmail material for a year!'_

Jack and Petra emerged from the outside passageway to the kitchens, where Petra's delight in finding a horse and carriage waiting was contagious. Jack was carrying a large picnic basket and a blanket, and after helping his potential love into the carriage, he handed the blanket to her, set the basket by her feet and climbed in himself. Always the gentleman, he helped Petra arrange the blanket across her legs, then with a quick tap on the driver's back, the carriage was in motion, rattling across the cobblestone courtyard.

Returning from a stroll through his gardens, King Franklin was pleased and a bit surprised to see his son passing him by with a very happy smile on his face, and Jack gave a jaunty wave when he saw his father. Franklin hadn't seen his son smile that openly in over a decade at least, and it made the old man's heart glad.

In a small open glade alongside the Boeshane River, Jack and Petra were seated – well, Jack was sprawled but Petra was sitting as a lady should – with the remains of their picnic strewn around the red-plaid blanket also from the basket. The air was filled with birdsong, and there was just enough breeze coming off the water that Petra was glad Jack had insisted on the second blanket to put around her legs.

"I have to admit that when Ianto approached me, I was more than a little sceptical about meeting you."

"How so?" Jack frowned.

"Just the idea that someone had the ability to guide another to true love is… it seems…" she shrugged. "I don't know, preposterous."

Jack took a sip of wine before admitting, "I thought the same thing."

"I was busy travelling and I turned him down time and time again, but he persisted."

"Well, that's Ianto for you," Jack nodded. "He sets his sights on something or someone and he doesn't let go." He was unaware of the fond smile on his face as he spoke or of the warm tone to his voice.

"Yes, well, he really convinced me," Petra agreed. "I'm glad I kept an open mind," and she gave Jack one of her most engaging smiles. "I must say I've been more than a little pleasantly surprised."

"Yes," Jack raised his glass to her in a quick salute. "As have I," and although there was a smile on his face, he experienced an odd feeling of guilt.

"For the life of me I don't know how we haven't met before." Petra peered at the prince through her eyelashes, smiling coyly.

"According to Ianto, I have a tendency to keep people at arm's length."

Petra laughed lightly. "Yes, I call that blue blood syndrome," she explained. "You've never quite sure if people like you for who you are or if they're just being nice because they want something."

"Exactly!" Jack nodded his head vigorously. "It's impossible to not become cynical!"

She also nodded. "Not impossible, but certainly a challenge and like any other it took me a while." She gave him another coy smile. "I like to think I've learned the art of trusting my instincts implicitly and ever since, it hasn't led me astray."

Jack smiled at her enigmatically and drank his wine.

Having left the horse and carriage at the stables, and after giving the groomsman the picnic basket and blanket to return to the kitchens, Jack and Petra strolled across the palace's courtyard, enjoying the early spring sunshine.

"I don't know when I've enjoyed a more relaxing afternoon."

"Thank you, Your Highness, I did as well." Petra smiled at him, wondering what the rest of her stay in Boeshane might bring. "You made it feel very effortless."

Jack paused when they got to Petra's car. "What a wonderful description, but I know what you mean."

"Well, let us hope it can continue," Petra offered as politely yet openly as she could.

Try as he might, Jack couldn't bring himself to say "yes" or "I hope so" or even "maybe", so he merely smiled and bowed his head briefly,

Petra returned the gesture, a small part of her wondering if the Prince was going to kiss her good-bye, but he nodded to the footman, who quickly opened the door and then closed it behind her when she was seated.

As Jack watched the car leave the palace he realised he actually felt a little relieved that the day was over; he'd spent most of the afternoon feeling like he was being studied, evaluated, a check-list marked off as he and Petra had gotten to know one another. Conversation had remained polite, only safe topics discussed, nothing personal asked or revealed but still, he wondered if he'd passed the exam.

Wanting a quick think about things, Jack headed for the gardens, but he'd only gotten partway there when Ianto appeared from the palace's entrance and he gave a small chuckle, quite pleased to see the man.

Ianto waited until he'd heard the car engine die away before revealing himself to the Prince with a shy wave. "So, how did it go?" He walked over to stand in front of Jack. "Two dates down, is there a third one coming up? Maybe the Jubilee Ball?"

Unbeknownst to them, King Franklin stood in one of the upper windows, watching the interaction between the two men; there was a smile toying with the corners of his mouth as he watched his son, as he saw the very real smile that lit up his face. He could see what Jack didn't or wouldn't, that there was an attraction brewing between his son and his matchmaker and the older man wasn't honestly sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he'd never seen his only child look so happy around someone else, so animated and engaged as when he was with Ianto Jones and truth be told, Franklin would be proud to call the Welshman his son-in-law.

However, on the other hand, Jack wasn't just any man, he was the heir-apparent to the Kingdom of Boeshane, the next man to rule the more than a millennia old country and Jack, like any other monarch had an obligation to produce a successor, an 'heir and a spare' as it had been crudely referred to historically.

"Quite possibly," Jack acknowledged, "and if anything does happen you'll be the first person I tell."

Trying to maintain a smile on his face, Ianto clutched tighter at the mug of tea he held. "So, things are going well with Petra?"

"They are, she's quite a woman."

Ianto nodded. "Butterflies?" he asked, dreading the answer. ' _Please say no, please say no.'_

"I've been trying to take your advice and not overthink everything," he teased, "but I would say we are definitely headed in the right direction."

"I'm glad to hear it." Ianto hid his dismay in his mug of tea.

As Jack resumed his walk toward the gardens, he found himself thinking not about Petra but about the pain he'd seen in Ianto's eyes when he heard things were going well with his matchmaking efforts. Then he started wondering what it would be like if he and Ianto had just spent the afternoon together, what they might have talked about and where he would take them on their next date. Part of him wanted to spin around and grab Ianto by the shoulders, shake him and demand to know why he was feeling this way about a man he'd known for less than a month, but he was afraid that if he opened that can of worms, there would be no turning back.

It didn't matter, he couldn't stop himself. "Ianto?" he called out, turning around and walking back to the man.

"Yes?" Ianto found his heart skipping a beat at the sound of his name on Jack's lips.

"I know when we first met I was a tad sceptical of your methods and beliefs…"

"No…" An elegant eyebrow rose. " _Really?_ I never would have known," and he grinned cheekily.

"All right, maybe _very_ sceptical," Jack admitted sheepishly. "But through your determined efforts you have slowly opened my eyes and turned me into somewhat of a believer."

"From baby steps to giant leaps." Ianto was pleased that all the work he'd done was paying off. He truly wanted Jack to be happy, no matter who he was with.

Jack gave him a sincere smile. "Thank you, Ianto."

Ianto shrugged, struggling to keep the smile on his own face. "Just doing my job."

Again, Jack could see pain in Ianto's eyes and he reached out to shake the man's hand but inexplicably found himself raising it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on Ianto's knuckles. The absolute pleasure Jack saw come over his face was worth every heartbeat of shock he'd experienced as he'd done that.

Still in the upstairs window, King Franklin saw the gesture and remembered the first time he'd kissed his bride-to-be's hand; it was the first day they'd met, theirs being an arranged marriage as was the custom nearly four decades ago. Even though they'd had shared almost twenty years of loving marriage together before her untimely death, shortly after Jack was finally born they'd agreed they would let their son find his own mate. It was a promise Franklin had despaired of keeping when there didn't seem to be anyone who caught Jack's eye for more than a moment, hence the matchmaker, but seeing Jack with Ianto, the king began to wonder if he might be able to honour his wife's wishes after all.

Nonplussed by Jack's gesture and unnerved by the tears he could feel welling up, Ianto smiled briefly and managed to murmur, "good night," before hurrying past the prince and into the safety of the palace.

Jack turned to watch Ianto go, wondering if he'd done the right thing or if he'd just made matters even more uncertain for them both. The joy in Ianto's eyes had been very real, but so had the pain and confusion.

King Franklin turned from the window with a heavy sigh as he went to sit in his favourite chair in front of the fireplace. Having just been witness to the scene below, he had a lot to think about.


	12. Chapter 12

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Twelve

Even though the ball was more than a day and a half away, Tosh was excited. "Hey, Ianto, it feels like the Jubilee Ball is in few hours," she announced as she finished removing all the pins, sticky notes and string from her map and putting them away and as she carried the board over to set it against the wall she heard the definite sounds of sniffling and moaning coming from Ianto's room.

"Oh, you're not getting sick, are you!" she exclaimed as she entered the room.

Seeing her, Ianto pulled the covers up over his head.

"Hey, why are you still in bed?"

Ianto moved the sheet down just enough to look at her. "I'm in love with Prince Jack," he moaned pitifully.

Tosh was dismayed to see fat tears start spilling over from his eyes. His face was puffy and his eyes were red-rimmed; he'd clearly been crying for a while. She wanted to crawl into bed with him and hug him until the pain went away but instead, she nodded.

"Yeah," she responded matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean, 'yeah'? Is it obvious?"

"Yes…"

Ianto was horrified. "Does everybody know?" His eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, do you think he knows?"

Tosh tried not to smile.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Ianto threw his hands over his face. "This cannot be happening!"

"Why not?"

"Because this is what I _do!_ " Horror changed to indignation. "Because I'm a professional!" Indignation was replaced by realisation. "Or at least I _was_ a professional until yesterday afternoon when he kissed my hand and everything just went…!"

"Wait!" Tosh interrupted. "He kissed you?!"

"He kissed my _hand_ but it was to thank me for introducing him to Petra, the woman that we found," Ianto gestured between them, "the woman that he loves. He loves her…" he declared and then he pointed at himself, "and not me!" A fresh flood of tears began as he flung his head back into the pillows.

Tosh gave him a look that if he'd seen it would have told him he was being an idiot, but instead she said, "Just because you're the King of Hearts doesn't mean you're not allowed to have one."

Ianto responded by blowing his nose loudly into the wad of tissue he held.

"Besides, it's not really your fault," Tosh twisted her fingers together nervously. "You have a ninety-eight-point-five index compatibility with him."

 _That_ got Ianto's attention. "What!" He threw his tissues at the wastepaper bin and had a mini-tantrum, kicking his feet beneath the covers and flinging his head back into the pillows again. "Why did you tell me that?!"

"Sorry," Tosh grimaced, "I was just _so_ curious."

Unable to formulate a coherent sentence, Ianto pulled the covers up under his chin and decided he wasn't getting out of bed until it was time to leave, ' _and even then, I might just go home in my pyjamas_ ,' he silently declared.

"Ianto, you can't just leave these feelings bottled up inside," Tosh tried to be helpful.

That got his attention and he sat up. "Oh, yes I can and I intend to because I told Jack I want him to be happy and I really mean it." Ianto's voice began to choke up again.

Tosh sat down on the side of the bed and plucked at the duvet cover. "Listen, you always tell our clients they have to let their guard down if they want to fall in love, right?"

Ianto shrugged.

"Maybe it's time that you do the same," she told him earnestly.

Just as he was going to answer her, Ianto heard his mobile bleep, indicating that a text had just come in. Pulling it out from under his pillow, he activated the screen, read the message and chuckled ironically. Waving the phone at her, he explained, "He has just invited me to join him as he introduces Petra to the king."

Tosh gaped at him for a moment. "Oh…"

"Yeah."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

Ianto flung his arms out wordlessly, his face clearly saying, "What else can I do?"

Accompanied by Jack and Petra, King Franklin led the way as they strolled through the palace gardens. The day before the Jubilee Celebration had dawned bright and clear, and as the trio walked along, they breathed in deeply the crisp, clean morning air.

"Your Majesty, you seem to love the outdoors as much as your son," Petra broke the comfortable silence they'd been enjoying.

"I wish I could say I was as active as he is," the king smiled ruefully.

Jack chuckled. "He's being modest; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

As they stepped onto a long wooden bridge with beautifully carved railings, the king let go a sigh. "His mother and I used to come to this very bridge to bask in the natural splendour of the lake." There was a note of sadness to his voice and for a few moments, his eyes lost their sparkle.

It was indeed a beautiful place, the lake placid in the absence of any breeze, its mirror-like surface reflecting the sky and clouds above; the lake shore was full of trees, some still holding on stubbornly to the last of their fall colours while others were bravely budding out in the spring sun. Lake Boeshane itself was immense, oval-shaped and thousands of feet deep.

"They say the heart may heal but the scar never goes away." Franklin gazed out over the water, unable to meet his son's eyes.

Determined to lighten the suddenly gloomy mood, Jack paused his walk and said, "Like Mother, Petra is a supporter of the arts and a humanitarian."

Petra turned to the king and with a very smug look on her face which the monarch found a tad unpleasant, told him, "I believe it is my duty to use my title and position to help those less fortunate."

' _Well, doesn't that just sound a tad rehearsed_.' The king smiled at her, although this one didn't reach his eyes. "Ahh… putting the 'noble' into 'nobility'." He patted her on the shoulder. "Petra, would you excuse us for a minute?"

Unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad, Petra nodded graciously. "Of course, Your Majesty." She began walking back toward the edge of the lake while the king and his son continued across toward the boathouses.

Checking over his shoulder that Petra couldn't hear them, Jack asked, "So…?"

"Well, she's an absolute delight," the king began, "seems positively taken with you." He stopped and looked his son in the eye. "Tell me, though, can you see her as your future queen?"

Jack hadn't been expecting such a direct question and he hedged, "This is all so new to me, and I'm still trying to work things through. But I won't lie to you, my head is in a bit of a spin."

Franklin nodded in agreement. "Love has a way of doing that. At times it makes fools of us all." He smiled warmly at his son as he tapped Jack's chest, right over his heart, "but the _real_ fool is the one who fails to heed its calling."

Summoned by Owen's almost-but-not-quite-frantic phone call, Ianto and Tosh walked quickly through St James Community Centre to find him, Rudy and Gwen standing in the back hallway staring up at the ceiling.

Looking up as well, they saw a large patch of discoloured plastering that had been pulled away, revealing the wooden slats above, some of which had been broken away by the workmen. "What happened?" Ianto exclaimed.

"One of the workers found some rot in the attic space," he smiled at her. "They've sent an inspector to check it out; I think he's in the basement now."

"Well, how bad is it?" Tosh smiled back, tickled by the warm feeling he gave her.

Working hard to hide her sudden dislike of the woman she now realised was her rival for Owen's affection, Gwen crossed her arms over her chest. "Worse than you can imagine. They say there's so much structural damage that the place has been deemed unsafe."

"Unsafe?" Rudy turned to Gwen, filled with the fear of a child that he might lose his second favourite place in the kingdom, home being first, naturally. "How?"

Gwen turned a cloyingly sweet smile on the little boy, hoping Owen would see how good a parent she could be to a motherless little boy. "The roof is in danger of collapse, so until repairs are made, we have no choice but to shut down."

"What!" Truly alarmed by this horrible turn of events, Rudy turned to his father. "You can't let that happen! Dad, Prince Jack promised to help us."

"Yes, and he has," Owen shrugged, feeling Tosh's touch his arm briefly in support. "But somethings are out of even his control."

Tears prickled Rudy's eyes as he declared, "Well, if he can't help us, no one can!" and he pushed between Ianto and Tosh to run off down the hall.

With a deep sigh of helplessness, Owen turned to follow his son only to be stopped by Toshiko.

"Let me go?"

Owen gave her a silent nod and as he looked at Ianto, he missed the death-glare Gwen sent Tosh's retreating figure.

"Isn't there anything Jack can do?" Ianto asked, although he was pretty sure the answer would be no.

"Well, he has tried to convince the Board of Governors, but they won't budge." Even as Owen spoke, a chunk of plaster, partially dislodged by the inspectors earlier, fell from the edge of the ceiling's hole, as if proving that the Board was right.

"But he's the prince," Ianto protested.

"Yes, he is," Owen nodded, "but this is a constitutional monarchy, which means that Parliament controls all the properties in the kingdom."

Ianto shook his head. "I cannot imagine Jack just letting all this slip through his hands." He pulled out his mobile to check the time.

"Unfortunately, his hands are tied." Owen shook his head sadly; no one knew better than he did how much pleasure and fun the children had at the centre. As a child, Owen had spent many, many hours at St James; it had been a home away from home when his father had been too busy serving as the king's butler to spend time with him. He'd vowed back then that one day his own children would enjoy visiting the community centre but it would not be a substitute for the companionship of a loving parent.

He noticed the frown on Ianto's face. "Let me guess, the prince awaits?"

"Yes," Ianto put the phone back in his coat pocket, glanced up at the hole in the ceiling and offered Owen a grim smile. "Yes, he does, and impatiently. Excuse me." He hated to leave Owen and the centre but duty called, and one did not ignore a royal summons from the prince.

As he passed through the arts and crafts room heading towards the exit, he noticed that Tosh had calmed Rudy down and they were seated at one of the tables while Rudy drew on a large piece of card stock. Catching Tosh's eye, Ianto nodded toward the door and kept walking albeit slower than a moment ago.

"I think you have enough time to finish your picture before you have to come home," Tosh told him softly, "so, at dinner tonight, you can show me, all right?"

Rudy nodded as he continued to draw, using dark crayons and coloured pencils rather than the bright cheery colours he normally favoured.

Gwen was hovering nearby, and after giving her a quick smile – she still had no idea the woman hated her very guts – Tosh reluctantly stood and followed Ianto, her eyes roving everywhere as she walked, making memories just in case she never returned.

It was cold and dark as Jack paced the upper garden, his breath soft white clouds as he exhaled. A sound on the steps had him turning to see Ianto approaching.

"You wanted to see me, Your Highness?"

"Yes." Jack's face had a severe frown.

Ianto gave him a brief smile. "I realise I was… uh… missing today."

"And at a crucial juncture in my romantic future," he scolded.

"I'm sorry," Ianto shook his head. "I didn't think it was my place."

Jack didn't understand. "I needed you there for the introduction to the king!" Seeing the look of surprise on Ianto's face, Jack realised he'd been a little too emphatic. "I'm sorry if that sounded a bit cross but… Erm…" He turned away and waved his hand towards his head. "I'm… my head is just spinning!"

"Why?" That was one of the last things he expected to hear the prince say. "I thought things were going well with Petra."

Jack spun back around to face him. "They are, but come on, Ianto! I am about to make the biggest decision of my life."

Seeing the scared little boy, the unsure teenager, the sceptical man looking at him Ianto had to fight to keep from rushing forward and wrapping his arms around Jack, giving him a big comforting hug. Instead, he tried to reassure him, hiding his own emotions behind words.

"Yes, and I've given you everything I can!" Ianto stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and clenched them into fists. "I've given you personality indexes and charts and chemistry and beyond that it's really just up to how you feel inside."

"But you're the expert." The prince struggled for the right words. "I need your advice," Jack implored him.

Unable to speak Ianto could only stare into Jack's eyes. His little voice was screaming at him to tell Jack how he felt, consequences be damned but at least he'd have tried. ' _Tell him! Tell him!'_

"Ianto, please, just tell me what to do."

"I can't," Ianto whispered past the enormous lump in his throat. "Jack, even if I wanted to, I'm your matchmaker. That's my job." Traitorous tears sprang to his eyes. "I want what's right for you."

Jack could feel Ianto's pain and his own heart clutched for a moment; he felt as though something very precious was slipping through his fingers. Swallowing convulsively, Jack shoved his own tears and pain down as he smiled gently. "I thought you'd say that."

Ianto couldn't tear his eyes away from Jack's. He could see that they were becoming red-rimmed, he saw the way Jack pursed his lips as though trying not to say something, and there was a definite downturn to the corners of his mouth. He knew what Jack was going to say before the man even opened his mouth.

"Well then, I've made up my mind." Jack nodded decisively. "Tomorrow at the Jubilee Ball I'm going to propose to Petra." The prince did not look happy in the least little bit.

"That's wonderful, congratulations." Ianto smiled brightly at him, not noticing the one stray tear that slipped down his cheek but Jack did and it took all the self-control he had not to reach out and wipe it away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Thirteen

The next day flew by, although Ianto couldn't really remember anything he did; he spent the majority of it in their suite, afraid that he might run into Jack at some point and then the annoying, bossy little voice in the back of his mind would win the battle and he'd blurt out the words 'I love you'. He'd spent a restless night, tossing and turning as His Royal Highness Prince Jack of Boeshane invaded his every dream.

Finally, he couldn't dodge time any longer; he had to start getting ready for the ball. He spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower where the torrents of water covered up every tear shed, and there were a lot of them. At one point, Ianto had slid down the tiled wall to the shower's floor where he'd sat under the cascading water, head buried in his hands, the steam hiding him as he sobbed his heart out.

Sure that he'd gotten his emotions under control, Ianto shut off the water, dried himself and combed his hair, although he was unable to meet his reflection in the mirror. He knew that if he saw how much pain was still in his eyes he wouldn't be able to leave his room at all.

Draped in a towel slung low on his hips, Ianto straightened his shoulders and marched out into the bedroom and over to the wardrobe. Being careful not to look into the full-length mirror that covered the entire door, he reached in and drew out the garment bag that held his tuxedo, hanging it on the clothing rail next to the door.

A sudden thought struck and he went to the desk, digging into his briefcase for a velvet-covered jewellery box. He opened it and looked at the beautiful jewelled pin inside, then threw on some casual clothes before hurrying out of his room and into the hall. As he dashed down the stairs toward the entryway, he dodged several musicians coming in with their instrument cases; their laughter was subdued but they were ever-so-proud at being chosen by the monarch to play at the celebration of his long reign.

Catching sight of his quarry, Ianto waved. "Owen!"

"Sir?" Owen gestured at Ianto's casual attire. "The celebration is about to start; shouldn't you be dressed?"

"Yes, yes, I'm just going to go do that," Ianto smiled, "but I have a favour to ask of you first."

"Of course, anything for the King of Hearts," Owen smiled happily, thinking that angels must have put the idea of contacting a matchmaker into his head. _'If it weren't for Ianto, I never would have met Toshiko,'_ and the thought of her made his heart beat faster.

"Can you see that this gets to Petra?" He put the velvet box into Owen's hands. "I want her to have this for the celebration."

Owen frowned. "Perhaps you would prefer to give it to her yourself?"

"No!" Ianto exclaimed a little too quickly. "No, I'm sure she's busy, I don't want to distract her." He began to back away nervously. "I'm sure she has plenty on her mind."

"As do we all," Owen agreed, "what with the huge announcement from the prince in the offing."

True panic set in and Ianto moved quickly toward the stairs. "Yes, yes…" He couldn't get anything else past the lump in his throat and with a torrent of tears threatening, he was overcome with the desperate need to get back to the safety of his room.

"I'll make sure Lady Petra gets this with your best wishes, sir," Owen assured Ianto's rapidly retreating back.

Ianto glanced over his shoulder. "Thank you. You're a good man, Owen," and he managed a genuine smile.

He'd only looked away for a moment but when Ianto turned back and began mounting the stairs again he found himself face-to-face with Prince Jack, formally dressed in his suit designed specifically for the Jubilee Celebration.

Please to see Ianto at last – he'd been looking around the palace for his matchmaker… his friend… whenever he'd had a free moment – Jack beamed at him. "So, how do I look?"

To Ianto Jones, the man looked like a dream come true. The bespoke black tuxedo was adorned with three rows of gold braid at the cuffs and had been carefully tailored to fit Jack's body like a glove. There were two royal insignia above the left breast pocket, and a red and gold sash crossed his chest from shoulder to hip. His tie was gold satin and over that he wore a red-and-gold ribbon from which hung his Medal of Courage.

Feeling like a fool, all Ianto could do was nod and smile tremulously, knowing that the sight of Jack would be etched in his mind forever.

"You, on the other hand, are dressed a bit… casually," Jack quirked an eyebrow, "but I like it."

"Yes, well… I'm umm…" Ianto stammered and chuckled nervously. "Actually erm… This is kind of the real me," he said, knowing he sounded inane but unable to stop talking and suddenly he found himself blurting out, "I have to admit, I've been hiding, trying so hard to live up to expectations, to be this perfect, put-together, has-all-the-answers, know-it-all man from Wales."

Jack had to force himself to remain still and silent, afraid that he might break the spell and that Ianto would stop talking to him so openly.

"I'm just… not…" Ianto rolled his eyes, "that guy."

"I know the feeling." Jack caught himself and changed the subject. "How do I look? I um… Is it okay? It's not too buttoned up?"

"You look amazing." There was sincere pride in Ianto's voice and for a moment, true happiness shone from his eyes; he couldn't resist reaching out and making a small adjustment to the sash and smoothing his hands down Jack's arms, his fingers lingering for just a moment.

"Thank you, Ianto."

Yet again, tears threatened and Ianto quickly hung his head, hoping Jack hadn't noticed. "Yeah, I um…" He got himself under control and smiled that fake smile he'd been using so much lately. "So, are you excited?"

"Yes, oh yes!" Jack nodded energetically. "And a little anxious, but I think that's to be expected, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think so, but you'll work through that," Ianto hastily reassured him. "I have no doubt."

For a moment the rest of the world ceased to exist as Jack and Ianto looked into one another's eyes, lost in the depths of what they were seeing, Ianto knowing it would be the last time they would ever be together like this while Jack was wondering if he was about to make the biggest mistake of his entire life.

Terrified that he would say something he shouldn't, Ianto was the first to break the spell. "Well, I guess I'd better go slip into something a lot less comfortable!"

"Yes," Jack grinned at him, "please do."

They were several paces apart when they both paused; Jack turned around first.

"Ianto…"

"Yes?" the Welshman spun on his heel.

"I know I've said this to you before, but I really am very…" The flare of hope in Ianto's eyes died and that stabbed at Jack's soul like a blazing hot knife.

"I know, I know…" Ianto managed to keep his tears at bay. "I can see it in your eyes."

Jack stared at him, wanting so badly to say something comforting but in his heart he knew that at the moment there were simply no words that could possibly make Ianto feel better. _'Nothing I could say now would bring a true smile back to his face,'_ and that realisation made Jack feel worse than he ever had in his life.

"So go!" Ianto gestured down the stairs, his movements surprisingly smooth despite the turmoil that was shaking his very soul. "Go to your happily-ever-after!" He watched Jack turn to leave and the moment the man's back was turned, tears filled his eyes and he barely choked back a sob as he ran up the stairs and locked himself in his room.

The palace looked magical beneath the glow of the full moon, with lights shining in every window and soft music wafting out the open entryway door into the night air. A steady stream of expensive Hovers deposited well-heeled men and elegantly attired ladies, all excited by the rumours of a romantic surprise which had spread quickly through the Peninsula.

Inside the ballroom, the crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, while tables covered with snowy white linens were spread out along the outer edges of the dance floor. Suited waiters slid effortlessly through the people, offering drinks and hors d'oeuvres while the orchestra played classical Boeshanian music. Free of their coats, wraps and capes, women revealed gowns in a rainbow of colours set off by gem-laden jewellery while their escorts and other men wore both suits and tuxedos. There was a low murmur of conversation, most of it speculating on Prince Jack's expected announcement.

In front of the fireplace, King Franklin and Prince Jack were receiving their guests and Jack smiled broadly as Tosh stepped up and bowed. "Your Highness."

"You look lovely, Toshiko," Jack proclaimed, and she did. Tosh had chosen a high-necked sleeveless floor-length gown that had a black skirt and gold-embellished waistband with a bodice of gold mesh embroidered with gold thread and enhanced by gold crystal beads.

Leaving the prince as others approached, Tosh scanned the room and to her surprise, she saw three familiar faces. Walking over to them, she greeted them with a large grin. "You're those kids from the Cardiff wedding!"

"That's us!" the brunette piped up.

Tosh remembered the boy telling her that he got invited everywhere. "Let me guess, your mum has friends in the monarchy?"

Before he could answer, the blonde teenager giggled. "No, but Llando does," and she gestured to the fourth member of their group, a tall, good-looking young man.

Shaking her head Tosh laughed, pleased to see the two young people had gotten together. "You all have a good time," and she turned away to accept a drink from a passing waiter.

Jack surveyed the room. "Quite the turn-out, Father," he observed happily. "Congratulations, by the way," and he bowed his head.

Thank you, my boy," Franklin accepted with a proud smile and then movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. "Ah, here comes your soon-to-be-betrothed now."

Petra walked up to the men, bowing first to the king, "Your Highness," and then to Jack.

"You look stunning," he told her and she did, wearing a gown of embroidered silver lame and lace. "I…" The smile suddenly left his face.

Petra saw that he was staring at the right side of her bodice and glanced down at the pin. "They're butterflies," she explained.

The pin was made of three golden-winged butterflies, encircled so that the bottom tips of their wings met in the centre where a small diamond glistened. The edges of their wings were adorned with more smaller diamonds and each body was created by miniature butterflies done in matching pink diamonds with small ruby centres. The effect was truly stunning.

"Do you like it?!" she asked. "It was a gift from your matchmaker."

For a moment Jack was truly stunned into speechlessness, remembering Ianto's words about the significance of the ethereal butterfly. Then he managed to say, "how very thoughtful of him." Tearing his eyes from the pin, he asked, "where is Ianto anyway?"

Disappointed that her intended was more interested in looking for an employee than in paying her proper attention, Petra pretended to look around for a second. "I'm not sure, Your Highness," she shrugged as though it were of no importance. "Perhaps we should take our places?"

Glancing over Petra's shoulder, Jack saw Tosh standing at the side of the room, trying not to appear anxious as she too looked around at the people gathered. "Excuse me for a moment, I'll be right there."

Walking up to Tosh, Jack frowned. "Toshiko, have you seen Ianto?"

Tosh wasn't sure what to say. "Oh… yes…" She struggled to find a good excuse for his absence. "I'm sure he's somewhere around here, Your Highness."

"I see," Jack was frustrated. "Do you know _exactly_ where I might find him?" but before Tosh could answer, the king began to speak.

"May I have everyone take their places, please."

Gritting his teeth at the older man's timing, Jack heaved a deep sigh and returned to his father's side.

Even though it was past eight in the evening, the Boeshane Train Terminal was bustling with travellers and a ready-to-depart train sounded its horn, telling stragglers to get a move on.

A seasoned traveller himself, Ianto had no problems manoeuvring his two rolling bags through the crowds and toward his departure gate, then outside to the platform where there were fewer passengers. Bundled against the cold night air and with a look of hopelessness on his face, he sat down on a bench to await his train.


	14. Chapter 14

**Royal Matchmaker**

Chapter Fourteen

"I would like to welcome everyone to this year's Jubilee Celebration." Jack stood at the podium and looked around the room at the assembled guests, resplendent in their best finery. "We are honouring the thirty years my father has been on the throne." He smiled warmly at his father. "As your prince I have had both the blessing and the curse of growing up before your eyes, and with the help of a very special person…"

Trying hard to ignore the gnawing feeling in her belly, Petra glanced over her shoulder at Tosh, seated at the table behind her. Tosh managed a weak smile at her even as she wrung her hands beneath the table. She was quite worried about Ianto, having checked their suite as well as his favourite spots around the palace looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found, and she'd tried numerous times to reach by phone but he wasn't answering his mobile.

"I am confident that you will see a new side emerge." Jack straightened his shoulders. "First, I would like to vow to continue my work with charities both abroad and here on our own soil."

King Franklin found himself tuning out his son's speech as he searched the guests for Ianto's familiar face and he frowned when he realised the Welshman wasn't present.

Jack looked directly at Rudy, seated between Owen and Tosh. "I am thrilled to report that Parliament has agreed favourably to my passionate pleas to restore the St James Community Centre to its former glory."

Overjoyed at the news, Owen reached out and hugged Rudy tightly as the room broke out in loud applause and cheers.

"Here, here!" King Franklin beamed proudly.

"Through funds from the Queen Cristina Grant, next spring, in her honour, it will be rechristened as the Queen Cristina Community Centre."

Another round of applause and cheers erupted in the room and Jack caught Rudy's eye and winked at him. Rudy grinned back at him from ear to ear.

It took a long moment for the celebration to die down, and when it did, Jack continued. "My parents were and still are a shining example for me, not just in the importance of charity, but to that of love."

An excited murmur ran though the guests and a third round of applause broke out.

King Franklin looked first at Toshiko, who was smiling at Owen with her heart in her eyes, then at Petra, who was looking at Jack with mild interest – nothing at all like the look in Tosh's eyes for the man she loved – and then he took a long, hard look at his son, seeing steely determination but not true affection in his eyes as Jack watched Petra glancing around the room with a barely concealed look of boredome before checking out her manicure.

Now that the time for the engagement announcement was apparently at hand, the king wasn't sure he'd done the right thing, forcing Jack into a relationship that would lead to marriage and an heir. Truthfully, bringing in the matchmaker had been very good for Jack himself; Ianto had brought the prince out of his protective shell, but in the back of his mind, Franklin could hear his wife telling him, ' _Franklin, get your royal arse in gear and fix this before it's too late and our son ends up miserable and ultimately alone.'_

Abruptly, the king stood up and left the table, oblivious to the curious looks he was getting as he slipped between his guests and out of the ballroom; he never saw the look of intense concern on Tosh's face as she watched him leave.

As the time grew later, the throngs of people coming and going at the train station had thinned quite a bit, leaving Ianto nearly alone on the platform. He was cold and alone and oh-so-sad, but the idea of going back inside and being around people who were cheery and excited about travelling just soured his mood even more.

He got up to pace, hoping it would warm him up a little and on his fifth trip past his seat and bags, his mobile bleeped in his pocket, alerting him to yet another text. Pulling it out, he saw the message, like all the others, was from Toshiko, but this one had several exclamation points before the words began. Ignoring all the others left unopened, Ianto slid his finger over this one, bringing the words top the screen.

' _Jack is looking all over for you. What do you want me to tell him?'_

Tears sprang to Ianto's eyes, blurring the words, and a huge part of him wanted to turn around and return to the palace but then common sense took over. His inner voice was firm and matter-of-fact when it told him, ' _Don't be stupid, he's not looking for you because he wants you, he just expects you to be there as one of the guests.'_

As he finally lifted his phone to return the text, several fat tears plopped onto the screen, making Ianto brush angrily at his eyes. When he lowered his hand he was shocked beyond belief to find King Franklin standing in front of him with a bemused expression on his face while all around him travellers were gathering and whispering about seeing the King.

"Your Majesty!" Ianto immediately went into a deep bow. "What are you doing here?" Seeing the king's protection officer standing between the monarch and the crowd of people, he lowered his voice and said, "You're supposed to be at the Jubilee Ball," as though it were a secret.

King Franklin put on a face full of disapproval. "As are you."

Ianto had the grace to blush. "Ah… yes… yes, Your Majesty," he stammered. "Yes, I'm sorry… but I… I just can't."

"You seem to have developed a… fondness for my son, Mr Jones."

Ianto's blush deepened; he had no idea anyone but Tosh was aware of that fact, let alone the King of Boeshane. "Yes, I'm sorry," he apologised again. "I assure you that wasn't intentional."

"Well then, I am confused," Franklin frowned. "I assumed we had an agreement."

Ianto was slightly taken aback. "We did and I fulfilled my obligation."

A smile twitched the corners of the king's mouth. "Then why do you believe I came down here on the night of the Royal Jubilee?"

"I don't know!" Ianto's eyebrows rose in confusion; he was too heartsick to be interested in riddles.

"Because, young man, you promised me to help find my son his happily-ever-after and I believed you."

The string quartet played an old familiar sonata but Jack was only half paying attention to the music; he was prowling the ballroom in a determined search for his matchmaker. He nodded and smiled at those he passed, he registered the fluid movements of the couples on the dance floor, but his eyes never stopped looking for Ianto.

"Your Highness," he heard a voice call out and he turned to see Owen, Rudy and Tosh approaching him, while Gwen trailed behind the trio, still unwilling to let go of her romantic fantasies about Owen.

"Your Highness," Rudy beamed up at him. "We cannot thank you enough for everything you've done. You have no idea what this means to the community."

Jack reached out and brushed Rudy's fringe from his forehead and then straightened his bow tie. "It was my pleasure, Rudy, I promise."

"Maybe you could come and speak to one of our afterschool classes?" he asked hopefully.

"I'd be delighted," and Jack nodded his head with approval.

Owen stepped close to Jack's shoulder and leaned in as he said, "I haven't seen the king since the dedication."

"Neither have I, Owen," Jack frowned and glanced around the room, "he seems conspicuously absent, along with…"

"Ianto?" a new voice interjected.

They all looked to find that Petra had walked up on them unobserved and with brief smiles, Owen led Tosh and Rudy away, pausing with a _nearly_ indiscernible eyeroll to wait for Gwen to join them.

Jack smiled at Petra, though try as he might, he couldn't get the smile to reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I couldn't help but notice you looking for him."

After opening and closing his mouth several times, Jack discovered that there was nothing he could say. He _had_ been looking for him, wondering where he was, if he was all right, why wouldn't he attend… ' _Doesn't the man know I'm looking for him, for Goddess' sake!'_

Petra took his silence as admission. "Perhaps we should talk?"

Jack sighed and nodded, taking her arm to lead her to the side of the dance floor away from guests. His brain was racing to find the right thing to say, knowing that no matter what it was, it would no doubt hurt her feelings. But before he could open his mouth, Petra started the conversation

"I get the sense that this thing between us isn't quite what we first imagined."

"As much as I've been trying to convince myself otherwise…" Jack noticed that she held a red velvet box in her hands and then he belatedly realised that the bejewelled butterfly pin was glaringly absent from her bodice. "I think you're right." He smile ruefully.

"Please don't misunderstand me, you're a wonderful man," she spoke earnestly.

Jack chuckled at her words.

"And we have so much in common, but," Petra frowned slightly. "But…"

"But as friends," Jack finished her sentence.

"As friends," Petra grinned at him and then looked down at the box she held. "Because we're missing that one key ingredient…" and she offered the box to him.

Jack accepted it with a frown, not sure if he should open it or not although he knew what it contained.

"I think you should keep it so that it will remind you that when you _do_ meet your special someone, never let them go."

Refusing to admit that there was a tremble to his fingers, Jack opened the box and discovered the golden butterflies but before he could speak, Petra leaned in and kissed his cheek and then walked quickly away, leaving Jack to frown at the pin. _'How am I going to get such a valuable piece of jewellery back to Ianto halfway across the quadrant,'_ he wondered, ' _when I can't even find the man to speak to in a small room!'_

Just then King Franklin walked through the main doors into the ballroom, nodding to those around him as they bowed and curtsied with respect. As he strode to the middle of the floor, clearly intent on speaking, the musicians ceased playing, couples stopped dancing, people seated at the tables stood up and the servants slid away silently to stand against the walls. Owen took Toshiko's arm while she held Rudy's hand and they moved to the front of the guests, leaving Gwen behind. Even Jack stood at attention, watching his father and wondering where he'd been.

"This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of my taking the throne," the king began. "I was a mere lad, only a little bit older than my son is now." He beamed at Jack, his love and pride shining in his eyes. "The only difference is that I had already met and married the love of my life. My beloved wife gave birth to our son the day after my coronation." For a brief moment the light went out of his eyes as he remembered how much he and his wife had loved one another.

Franklin cleared his throat and continued, although there was a slight huskiness to his voice that hadn't been there a few seconds ago. "Those who knew her and knew her work said that Queen Cristina would light up a room…"

At that moment, Ianto Jones walked into the ballroom, and while everyone else's attention was on their king, Jack saw him immediately and a huge smile filled his face as he started to walk towards him.

Franklin noticed the instant attraction the two men had for one another, like magnets being drawn together and Tosh turned to see what had caught the king's eye. When she saw Ianto standing there, eyes locked with Jack's, she poked Owen in the side and nodded towards them, and they both smiled at one another.

The king continued his speech. "I must confess that the moment we met, my heart knew that ours was a love that I would forever treasure."

Jack stopped in front of Ianto. "You look wonderful."

Ianto wore a suit of the deepest black with a crisp white shirt and black tie, and a waistcoat in a most unusual shade of rose-gold; its metallic threads made the fabric shimmer in the light of the chandelier.

"Thank you," Ianto smiled tremulously.

"Is everything all right?" Jack was stilled worried by Ianto's late arrival.

"Well, I don't know," Ianto glanced around the room. "Did something happen with Petra?" He sounded genuinely concerned her absence.

Jack shook his head, "We realised we weren't in love…"

Ianto's heart skipped a beat and a wee flare of hope began to flutter.

"We're just friends."

"I see, so…" An elegant eyebrow arched, "what now?"

"I'm not sure," Jack told him. "I have this huge announcement to make and I don't know what to say." He searched Ianto's face for some clue, their eyes looking deeply into one another's.

"…adequately express what these last thirty years have meant to me…" The king's voice broke through their quiet moment and they turned to look at the monarch.

"…serving this sovereign nation. But it gives me great solace to know that when the time comes to pass the torch, Prince Jack, my son…" The king's voice was filled with fatherly pride, "will continue to lead us to greatness." The king straightened his shoulders and held out his hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present your humble prince."

As the applause began, Jack looked at Ianto with alarm. He'd had a speech all planned but it was suddenly gone from his brain, his mind a complete blank.

"Remember," Ianto put a reassuring hand on his arm, giving a gentle squeeze. "Speak from your heart, Jack, you'll be fine."

Giving him a nod and a smile, Jack strode confidently across the floor to his father's side. Franklin leaned in close and murmured, "go on, my son, make me proud," and he clapped Jack firmly on the shoulder.

Drawing a deep breath, Jack turned to his guests. "My father and I had an agreement that tonight I would make a monumental announcement. The problem is however, that I don't know exactly what that is at the moment."

Standing arm-in-arm off to the side, Toshiko and Owen shared a hopeful look, and behind Owen's back, Tosh crossed her fingers, unaware that Owen was doing the same behind her.

"The truth is," Jack go a nervous breath, "I'm in love." He looked directly at Ianto for a moment before continuing. "I just don't know if he feels the same way about me that I feel about him."

Looking over at Owen, he smiled gratefully at the small family. "But if there is one thing I've learned about love it's that you have to take that great leap." Jack's smile grew even bigger as Owen wrapped both arms around Tosh and kissed her on the lips and as those around them smiled happily, only the waiter who she rudely shoved out of her way noticed Gwen storming angrily from the ballroom through a side door.

Jack sucked another deep breath in and then released it. "So here I go." Never breaking eye contact with Ianto, Jack walked over to him.

"Ianto…"

"Yes…?"

"It's you who gives me butterflies, it's you that I can't get out of my mind, and it's you that I truly love."

Ianto's eyes widened as Jack sank down on one knee before him and a collective gasp went through the room as the guests realised what was about to happen. Even Toshiko's eyes were like saucers, even though she was already aware of Ianto's feelings for the prince.

"Please give me your hand and make me the happiest man on Boeshane."

Ianto Jones was completely flabbergasted, unable to form a single coherent thought as he stared down at Jack's hopeful face. He knew he looked a right twpsyn, what with his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out.

"Ianto?" Jack pulled the red velvet box from his pocket, opened it and then offered it to Ianto. "Will you marry me?"

Seeing the bejewelled butterflies shining up from the box at him, Ianto let out a breath he hadn't even realised he was holding.

"Yes, Your Highness," he answered as his heart began to beat again and he reached out trembling hands to clasp Jack's and pull him to his feet. "Yes, Jack," he said in a softer voice.

Around them thunderous applause broke out as their guests responded with glee.

"So romantic!"

"We were here for it!"

"Wait til I tell mother what she missed!"

And one plaintive, "Why can't you be more like the prince?!"

Jack removed the exquisite butterflies from their silken nest, handing the box to Ianto and he carefully pinned them to his beloved's lapel, then he pulled Ianto into his arms and began to kiss him as though it were going out of style. The king nodded with great satisfaction and signalled for the music to begin again, however, no one took to the floor, everyone waiting with bated breath as Jack stepped back, snapped his heels together with a mischievous grin and then he bowed deeply to Ianto before straightening and holding out his arm.

Still slightly shocked by such an unexpected turn of events, Ianto took the proffered arm and began to accompany Jack but then he noticed he still held the velvet box. Looking around frantically for what to do with it – his brain was a wee bit too addled to think of putting it in his jacket pocket – he realised that Tosh had rushed up and was taking it from him.

As the couple stepped out on the dance floor the music swelled and Jack whirled his beloved Welshman into a waltz, followed a few minutes later by numerous couples eager to share the dance with their prince and his intended.

After more than fifteen minutes of non-stop dancing, Jack and Ianto accepted glasses of champagne and then joined the king to catch their breaths.

"I cannot tell you how very happy I am for the two of you." The king raised his glass to the couple.

"Thank you, father," Jack smiled happily.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Ianto blushed.

Seeing an old friend across the room, Franklin nodded and as he turned away, the two men heard him mutter, "I don't know where this leaves us as far as an heir is concerned."

A huge grin lit up Ianto's face as he leaned in close to Jack's ear and whispered, "Did I ever tell you that many centuries ago when New Cardiff was being colonised the Jones men were genetically enhanced so we can bear children?"

Jack's whoop of joy echoed off the ballroom's high ceiling and the king turned back just in time to see his son grab Ianto around the waist and swing him around in dizzying circles.

' _Well, I guess I'll find out what that's all about later,'_ he shrugged and raised his glass to the couple a second time.

end

A/N: In the movie the female matchmaker brings Owen and Gwen together but I changed the story so that Owen falls in love with Toshiko, cos they belong together.


End file.
